Mothers Are The Culture Keepers with Guest Founder of Sovereign Eats, Moksha. Looking Back at S2E41

"Grenada is  very traditional" says my guest, Moksha, who was born and raised on the island and now lives in the US. "A large portion of  Grenadians still believe that 'little girls should be seen and not heard' and girls should concentrate on domestics and house keeping," continues my guest. Coincidentally, that 'saying' about little girls is an English proverb.   Grenada was colonized by the English from 1763 to 1974 and then by the French from 1979 to 1983 so they still have a residual effect of these different ruling cultures.  "House, car, land," those were the presupposed priorities for a young married woman.

I love that Moksha say "mothers are the culture keepers," and it's so very true. What would we do without our mom's telling us stories about the generations before us. There was definitely some conflict between Moksha and her mom because my guest often questioned things from a very young age. In particular, she had questions about spirituality and religion which she explained was way too complicated to cover in one episode of SHLTMM.

An overprotective mother believes she's doing what's best for her daughter, but not so in Moksha's case. It created more conflict around the house and that wasn't beneficial to anyone.  What seemed to be the hardest part was her lack of freedom.  She was never a daughter to sneak out at night, instead she just told her parents that she was going out.  She just knew who she was and what she needed out of life from a young age. And when it came to Moksha dating or meeting new male friends, that was definitely NOT going to happen based on her parents beliefs.

Cecelia's mom  always believed in the benefits of higher education, so she continues to study to learn and improve  her  opportunities with her own business, "Celebration Cakes." With a high school education she began different jobs but keep in mind "girls were supposed to stay home with domestic work,"Moksha says. It was the boys, who continued with school and were able to take jobs.

Moksha is dialed into nutrition/diet and wellbeing and it all began with her mother's knowledge and love for native foods in Grenada. Food is an important part of the culture and family in Grenada and traditions are handed down generation to generation.  Moksha's business "Sovereign Eats,"  is  all about food and it's healing properties. It's unfortunate, but Moksha feels that so much of the cultural ideas of her home land have been left behind.  She's hoping to keep those traditions alive by sharing her knowledge through Sovereign Eats.

When asked if Moksha thought her mom had regrets about her limitations as a young girl, she said "yes, absolutely, most likely based on her mom's past and boundaries put on her when she was a young girl."

Check out Moksha's Sovereign Eats website at 'sovereigneats.com.'

"Should Have Listened To My Mother" is an ongoing conversation about mothers and the roles they play in our lives. And my guests answer the question, 'are you who you are today because of, or in spite of, your mother'? You'll be amazed at what the responses are.

"Should Have Listened To My Mother" would not be possible without the generosity, sincerity and insight from my guests. In getting ready to launch my podcast, so many were willing to give their time and share their personal relationships with their mother.

Some of my guests include Baritone Singer Christopheren Nomura, Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist Tim Wacker, Activist Kim Miller, Freighter Sea Captain Terry Viscount, Film Production Manager Peg Robinson, Professor of Writing Montclair State University Dr. Bridget Brown, Tammy Steckler, attorney and family advocate @CUNY Law; NYC First Responder/NYC Firefighter Mark Heingartner, Child and Adult Special Needs Activist, Maryellen Valyo Cole and Roger Evens, Property Manager in New Jersey and so many more talented and insightful women and men.

I've worked in the broadcasting industry for over four decades. I've interviewed so many fascinating people including musicians, celebrities, authors, activists, entrepreneurs, politicians and more.

A big thank you goes to Ricky Soto, NYC based Graphic Designer, who created my logo for "Should Have Listened To My Mother".

Check out my website for more background information: https://www.jackietantillo.com/

Or more demos of what's to come at https://soundcloud.com/jackie-tantillo

Find audio versions of the podcast here: https://shltmm.simplecast.com/

Spotify Link: https://open.spotify.com/show/60j14qCcks4AP3JUrWrc2M

Link to website and show notes: https://shltmm.simplecast.com/

Spotify Link: https://open.spotify.com/show/60j14qCcks4AP3JUrWrc2M

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