The past is over and done with and there's no going back to change it but in order to know where you're going you must know where you come from. Oh the joy that comes with looking through all of the photo albums with my family and being reminded of the beautiful memories I had growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina with my four siblings and my mom and in Kinston, North Carolina with my father and grandparents and all of the fun times we had together. It's comforting being able to look at these photos and not have any regrets. These are some photos that I wanted to include in Rhyming Outside the Lines but I didn't have access to at the moment.

 

baby Jehania (9 months old)

 

1986 - 6 months old, me and my sister

My mom said everyone thought I was a boy because I didn't have any hair. 

 

age 3 - My obsession and love for hats dates back to 1989.

   

1998 - Grandaddy's obituary 

   

Grandma - 1950 something 

 

All of the women in my family love to read. 

Grandma reading the newspaper. You know it's a throwback when the edges of the photo are rounded.  

 

my mom's parents - Elijah Williams and Ella Mae Williams

 

2001 - age 15 - Grown as ever with my signature bun. Yes this is me and no I did not bleach my skin. I get extra dark, crispy, burnt, chocolate BLACK in the summer time and caramel in the winter time. I have never applied bleaching cream, bleaching lotion or bleaching soap to any part of my body ever in my life. My grandmother was the same way. I have photos of my grandmother in the summer time and she was Wesley Snipes black and then she was caramel in the winter. Some people just tan very easily and absorb more of the sun's essence than others. My baby photos are proof of my natural complexion. I had to clarify that for the Skin Bleaching Police. Some people aren't aware that people do get DARKER in the summer time.

 

1998 - My mom took us to see Gullah Gullah Island Live

 

2002 – age 16 – I remember this like it was yesterday. I never liked cleaning my room when I was a teenager. My mom used to always complain about how junky my room was. On this particular day, she stormed into my room and said “I’m going to take pictures of how messy and junky your room is and show them to you when you get older to remind you how filthy your room used to be. Your room always looks like a pig stye and you never want to clean it up.” My only response was “But I know where everything is though.”  

Polo Ralph Lauren bubble coat, incense holder, Nike shoe box, Coach belt, Eastbay catalog, Vibe magazine, handmade paper mache ashtray, faux fur purse, dirty socks, pajamas 

 

Banana yellow leather Timberland boots, all white Air Force Ones, rhyme books, school text books, white tees, thongs, hair chopsticks, old silky straight weavem weave glue, Tommy Hilfiger jeans, Breugger's Bagels work uniform, floppy disks, and we still used home phones then. 

Can you spot the To Kill A Mockingbird book? 

 

Body oil, nail polish remover, Global Cannabis March and Rally poster, curling iron, flat iron, deodorant, book bag, wedge heels

Shame on me! What can I say, I was going to school and had two jobs and was never home. 

 

2001 - age 16 - A lot of people think it doesn't snow in North Carolina but it does.

 

 

2000 - My two younger brothers (Ali and Najim) 

 

 

age 3 - Me and grandma, I think I was her favorite. 

 

1990 - age 4 - North Carolina African Music and Arts Festival

Jacksonville, NC

 

 

My mother

Aliyah Muhammad

 

1996 - age 10 - Briarcliff Elementary School Field Trip

Camp Don Lee - Outer Banks, NC  

 

 

1993 - age 7 - Purple has always been my favorite color. 

 

 

1993 - all three of my mom's daughters

 

 

1999 - my grandma, mom, and all five of my mom's children 

 

1987 - Black Artists' Guild (click on the pic to enlarge and read the full article)

Kinston, NC 

  

 

1993 - age 7 - Big head on the way to school

2000 - age 14

 

age 14 - at my grandmother's house 

 

age 10 - Don't judge me. Ugggggghhh! 

 

2001 - age 16 - me, my mom and brother dancing to reggae music

 

 

2001 - four of my mother's five children, the girl with the navy blue hat is of no relation. 

 

 

1997 - my brother Najim

It's the end of the world as we know it. Cuz everybody hurts sometimes.  

 

 

1996 - my mom and Jesse Jackson

1996 - Briarcliff Elementary School

My mom was a certified nursing assistant, a preschool teacher and a teacher for children with developmental disabilities. Here she is discussing Muslim holidays to my brother's kindergarten class. 

 

 

1997 - age 11 - I broke my arm rollerblading. 

1959 - My mom at age two

Before she was Aliyah Muhammad she was Ella Faye Williams. 

 

1964 - mom age 7 

 

1966 - mom age 9

 

I said 41 years but I made a mistake; it will be 37 years in July.  

 

 I never realized that I looked so much like my grandmother until I saw photos of her when she was younger. Here is a photo of my grandmother at age 46 from her driver's license. It’s scary how much I look like her. The shape of my face, my brow bone, lips, cheekbones, even the way I hold my mouth and my facial expressions are just like her. My mom said that my grandmother's father was from the West Indies but I'm not sure. I have to do some more research before I start to claim it. Those cheekbones kind of look like it though. 

Your children may not remember all of the material things that you gave them. But they will remember the time that you spent with them, what you taught them and the great memories they shared with you. Materials don’t last forever but memories last a lifetime. Create great moments and memories with your children and family. One day you will look up and they will be all grown up or won’t be here at all.