Tenk GAWD fa de Gullah/Geechee Chillun! by Queen Quet

Gullah/Geechee Nation ♦ February 27, 2015 ♦ 2 Comments

Nebba fagit whey hunnuh cum frum!  Mi yeddi disya frum Mama dem fa tru.

Dem kno sey hunnuh bin da gwine sumwhey and e wan mek sho wha dey een hunnuh mind fa do.

Tenk GAWD fa Mama dem wods and fa de Gullah/Geechee chillun tuh!

Disya wha mek home wort cumin home tuh fa tru!

The Gullah/Geechee Land & Legacy World Tour has been a tremendously blessed journey filled with smiles, embraces, gifts, and support from people from numerous cultures around the world.  The travels have been amazing sensory journeys through which my mind was stimulated due to the changing terrains and temperatures felt as well as the tastes of different cuisine.

I appreciate the blessings of being amongst those that truly appreciate the purpose of my life and want to support it. Some express how they know you from Facebook and documentaries, newspaper articles and words from friends and family, but there is nothing like seeing how your living is not in vain!   I got to see this in the eyes of the children of my home island, St. Helena as they saw me walking the hallways of the school which I hadn’t done in some time.   I felt the fact that they knew me as they waved and smiled.   The building became warmer than it seemed to have been in a long time and I know this was because of their spirits.

I spent the entire day in the school for the “Gullah/Geechee Read In”.  I read to every student there with the exclusion of the fifth graders who just couldn’t get on the schedule for the one day, but with whom I will spend some time on another day.   After a while, I kept hearing, “She was in the parade!  Hi, Queen Quet!  She was in the parade!”  I smiled because I was proud that I had co-chaired the Heritage Days Celebration which included the only parade that I still ride in.  There was a time when I rode in so many that I could not keep count of them all!

The afternoon brought smaller groups that spent a few more moments with me and as they did, they decided to tell me what they remembered-the song that I sang in the parade!  They started to do our Sea Islands polyrhythmic clap and I joined in!  They began the call and response and had it down pat!  I loved listening, but they wanted me to sing too!  When I did, they truly turned up and shared the journey!  They had no idea that I was not only spiritually back in the parade again and that I was seeing the thousands of my Gullah/Geechee people that have stood along our main roads each year to see the procession coming through, but I was also back in the praise house and then in the bush arbor!  De ancestas bin da smile and shout tuh!

Dem chillun memba!  Tenk GAWD fa de Gullah/Geechee chillun!

They remembered the words that I have shared with thousands of children from a song that I made based on our traditional rhythm.  I feel pride in who I am as a Gullah/Geechee every time I sing it and I look into the eyes of our children, but I do not believe I have ever felt this much pride before!  Tenk GAWD fa de Gullah/Geechee chillun!

Dem churn be bless mi soul!  Mi haat and bodee ain be cold.

Tenk GAWD dem chillun kno who webe!  Tenk GAWD dem yeddi and sing e be Gullah/Geechee!

I give thanks for this blessed gift on this journey.

There is no place like home for me!

Tenk GAWD fa yeddi dem chillun sing de refrain!

I am thankful to GOD that my living is not in vain!

• Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation (www.QueenQuet.com)

All Rights Reserved.  ©2015

Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation stands proudly with her book that was created for her by the 1st graders of St. Helena Elementary. http://www.QueenQuet.com