“I think about how the language I’ve mourned never learning has on some levels already been taught. A language I thought too difficult to warrant effort has already embedded itself into me.” LoveLossGriefFictionDementiaGhanaBlack AuthorAfrican AuthorJessica George Book:Maame Source: Maame
“If I’d realised how much that pressure would build inside me, the slow descent into a dull existence, days blemished with concern for my dad and whether I’m looking after him properly — well, I would have stayed out late some nights, lost my virginity at sixteen instead of still having it, developed a fondness for alcohol, sat at bars, smoked weed, danced at clubs, and turned strangers into friends.” LoveLossGriefDementiaImmigrant ExperienceGhana Book:Maame Source: Maame
“My parents are not special people, they’re ordinary, and one of my problems is that I’m expecting perfection from ordinary people. They’re not saints or masters of knowledge just people, people who have children, which, last time I checked, required no proficiency test. People who continue to make mistakes, attempt to learn from them and repeat, until death.” DepressionPerfectionParentingImmigrant ExperienceGhanaBlack AuthorImmigrant Parents Book:Maame Source: Maame