My great grandfather migrated to this country from Georgetown, Guyana, in South America. This bell had belonged to his mother, and it was something he had brought with him as a memory of her. It’s rung every Christmas morning, signaling that its time to eat our traditional breakfast, consisting of Garlic Pork and Pepper Pot. This bell is incredibly loud, but to us it signals more than just breakfast. Once it was passed on to my grandpa, he continued the tradition, ringing it every Christmas morning. We didn’t always eat the traditional Garlic Pork and Pepper Pot breakfast, but when we did it was as a family. Now that my grandfather has passed on, my mom is now in possession of the bell. We don’t ring it (at least not on purpose) anymore, but we do put it out during the holiday season as a memory of our family members. Unity is something my family values very much. We are constantly thinking of each other and checking in on one another.  Since I have such a large family that is dispersed throughout the entire world, I find it very important we maintain strong connections to the ones we have nearby. Seeing this bell during the holiday season is just a reminder of all the love we’ve shared throughout the years over a steaming plate of Garlic Pork and Pepper Pot.

– Tsedale F.

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant