EVERYDAY YA WAKE UP, ya got to thank God for His mercy and love that endures forever.

I have to open like this because every-where ya turn nowadays, ya hearing 'bout all kinds o' strange things that happening 'bout here in Barbados; ya seeing people who you know and who you thought was as healthy as a horse falling gravely ill, sometimes just so, and two twos duh pass away.

Leh muh tell ya something, wha' eva you do, ya like ya cahn seem to get 'way from um; ting, the stress is wha' I talking 'bout.

Look, nuh matter how much ya try to talk to ya'self or find a friend to bounce things offa, go and sit down 'pon the beach or walk up and down 'pon the sand just to cool off ya head. Ya might even guh fuh a drive in the country to catch lil o' that country air in ya face, just so ya could spend some time in the peace and quiet, while connecting wid the Father.

The stress like it does wait 'til ya start to feel a lil easier and lighter and boung right back up in ya face as soon as it think that ya trying to cope again.

Look, this stress thing really ain't easy at all; wha' I cahn remember ever hearing this word suh much in my life; this is a new fashion thing. I used to hear people talking 'bout how tired duh was or dem feeling a lil run down and need to get a good tonic to help build dem back up, but stress? Wha' stress?

Wha' ya does even hear lil teenagers who ain't even suh a star pitch yet talking bout how stressed out dem is, or how dem parents stressing dem out. You could imagine that? Well I tell ya, it is a serious gine down and it look like only the stout-hearted gine survive.

I have to say though, this stress thing really ain't mekking nuh sport, it got people running and chasing and doing some o' all kinds o' foolishness like duh loss duh common sense, like duh forget how to think.

All o' duh in a big able hurry all the time like duh trying to run ya off de road, and if you doan move at their pace, duh blowing duh horns and reaching out through duh windows hollering and cussing you in the worst way.

Soul, all I does do nowadays is say bless you, have a nice day and move on quietly hear, 'cause them might be under more stress than you think and duh might want to get out and do something igrant.

But look, one body who ain't look like duh gine through or even letting the lotta stress get to duh is the present Prime Minister, David Thompson. Look, if he ain't getting in somebody racing car to guh fuh a spin 'round the track, he admiring a pretty young lady displaying a costume at a band house. Wha' he ain't done there, I see he there in the papers having a great time, riding a jet-ski wid he wife 'pon the back, then enjoying a cricket match at Kensington Oval wid he father.

I really ain't blame he 'cause in he case, dah job he got does come wid a price – the real true true stress. And look, in dat job ya does walk in wid jet black hair and before the cat could lick he ear twice, ya hair does be as white as a sheet. So I really cahn fault he fuh trying to live a lil bit and hold on to some o' the simple pleasures that the tourist does come 'bout here and enjoy.

And I would say this to all o' wunna people who catching at eva' straw, running and racing and getting on like something getting 'way from wunna, to tek a leaf outta the Prime Minister book and live a lil bit; take a lil time to admire and enjoy the beauty of Barbados. It will ease the stress, trust me.

* Mavis Beckles was born and raised in the Orleans. She has an opinion on everything.