Funerals

Today my office was closed for a funeral of a young man whose life ended way to soon. It sounds strange to say my office was closed for an entire day, as in the U.S. no business would close the whole day unless it was one of their own who died, but not here in Grenadian society. Death is viewed alot differently and much more emphasis is put on celebrating the life of the person deceased. For days in advance the funeral home doors are open to anyone willing to see the body. As you walk in, there are rows of caskets open with people who recently moved on to another place. There is no private viewing room and no family waiting to greet you, just rows of caskets and dim lights. My counterpart said it's done this way so people can come say their respects on their own time, rather than the pressure of seeing the family, other people, etc. The funeral is followed the next few days and lasts the entire day. Lots of scripture, singing and crying are involved, but i can imagine this funeral had a heightened sense of sorrow.

Last week a boy from Gouyave who just graduated from Presentation Boys College passed away. From what you might ask? Asthma. Now when I first heard this I was taken aback by the possibility that people still die from simple asthma. I've been an asthmatic my entire life as are both of my parents so I know all about the chronic condition. Once I heard he died of complications due to asthma I began to reflect on all of the medical care I have received over the years for my asthma. The 3am ER trips for steroids and breathing treatments; the inhalers and long term medications; the antibiotics and follow up care to combat the issue. All of those things I took for granted over the years this young boy didn't have access to in Grenada. Yes there are breathing treatments at the General Hospital here, but it was a 40 minute trip to the hospital from his village. By the time he could reach the hospital he was already slipping in and out of consciousness and the chances to reverse what was happening were very slim. He passed away....at the young age of 16 years.

This has hit his village and the state of Grenada particularly hard. I have talked to many people about this young boy and not a single person has had anything shy of great things to say about him. He was a driven student who wanted to get an American degree and had such hope for the future of Grenada. He graduated in the top of his class and was involved in plenty of extracurricular activities. He was making his mark on Grenada and was ready to explore the world. But because of the lack of access to necessary medical care that I myself have taken for granted, his life was cut short. My heart cant help by ache for this young man and his family.

Rest in Peace Davidson...

SAVE A LIFE!!!!

Hello Friends! Im doing a little non-Peace Corps blogging today. As many of you might know, I have lost a dear friend to suicide in the past so its a cause i greatly support. I think that if there were more resources for struggling people we could prevent many of the deaths caused by suicide. Im not here to have a religious or moral debate about suicide, Im just simply asking my followers to go to this website below and vote for this cause. Chase Bank is giving out 200 grants to charities that receive enough votes. Im not sure if you are familiar with PostSecret or To Write Love on Her Arms, but both of these are behind this charity. Below I have attached a link and short mission statement of the organization for you to read. PLEASE VOTE!!!!

Peace and Love,
Mack





The Kristin Brooks Hope Center - founder of 1-800-SUICIDE - has partnered with To Write Love on Her Arms and PostSecret.com to develop the IMAlive online crisis support network this year. If the Kristin Brooks Hope Center wins the $250,000.00 prize, 100% of the proceeds will go directly toward IMAlive. Your vote today can help us take the next step in suicide prevention. The Kristin Brooks Hope Center is a non-profit organization founded in 1998 after the tragic death of the founder’s wife, Kristin, by suicide. From the beginning Reese Butler and the Hope Center have been dedicated to suicide prevention by providing easy access to a large network of crisis line workers while helping to break down the stigma and other barriers to accessing help and hope.www.hopeline.com Help us reach the future of suicide prevention today by voting now and urging your friends and family to vote as well.


1-877-VET2VET (838-2838) is a toll-free line for active duty service members or veterans. It is operated by the Kristin Brooks Hope Center

I wish she would've known about this....