IN MY FIRST New Year’s column, I didn’t send any special wishes or blessings tuh anybdy because I was too caught up wid the lot o’ fireworks all ovah the island. So, before anything else, let me begin this article by first thanking everybody who have been reading my column fuh all the years dat I have been writing it.
Thank you fuh calling me and wishing me well, laughing at my different kinds of opinions and encouraging me nevertheless. I pray that you would have a new year full of joy, peace and contentment and dat God will bless you and yours with good health.
I pray dat a lot o’ the problems we experience last year won’t repeat demselves again this year. I pray fuh the different unions dat duh will come together and work ’long side one another, not fuh dem own good but fuh the good o’ the whole country.
I pray dat the ministry o’ education would put back religious studies in all the schools and make sure dat we children stay grounded. Evahbody doan go tuh church and a lot o’ children doan hear nor couldn’t care less ’bout nuh God. Now dat duh could bring tuh school cellphones, duh does got the things in duh ears from the time duh wake up till the time duh guh ’long tuh sleep and all the way tuh school. So you and I know dat dat is all duh know, whatevah it is duh listening tuh.
I pray dat the officers at the different ports of entry would continue tuh be vigilant because the criminal-minded people like duh ain’t care who or what duh destroy. It is clear tuh see dat dem would go tuh any length tuh get drugs and guns in here. I pray dat all the officers would see the bigger picture and come tuh understand how very important their role is in the protection o’ this li’l country.
I pray and thank God fuh we police officers. I pray dat in as much as some people does cry dem down, we got some o’ the best police officers in the Caribbean. When I read ’bout the amount o’ murders dat duh had in Jamaica and Trinidad last year, I does have tuh thank God fuh dem ’cause dah job ain’t easy. When we sleeping peacefully in we cosy beds at night, dem does be out pon the roads risking duh lives tuh mek sure dat we safe. So I pray dat they will honour and respect their positions and God will continue tuh protect dem and duh families and keep dem safe.
I pray and thank God fuh all the men in Barbados who continue to look after duh families, especially duh children. I pray dat they would be good examples tuh duh lil children who would come along and see, loving and dedicated fathers and experience what family is all about. So dat when they then decide tuh have a family of duh own, they would know and understand what the role of a real father is.
On the other hand, I pray and ask God tuh help the men who have children and refuse tuh support dem, men who refuse tuh accept the responsibility of fatherhood and allow dem poor li’l children tuh be exposed and then made tuh suffer at the hands of yet another man who couldn’t care less.
I pray and thank God fuh sparing Barbados another year from any major disasters and I thank Him fuh all the men and women of God who continue tuh pray fuh this nation.
I pray and thank God fuh the leaders o’ this country and ask Him tuh give dem the wisdom dat duh need tuh run this country and not leh we fall in tuh the hands o’ the IMF.
I pray dat the people o’ Barbados will remember dat God has always been our guide and will allow Him tuh continue tuh smile down pon all o’ we.
• Mavis Beckles was born and raised in The Orleans. She has an opinion on everything.
