It was the fourth over of the second innings when Lara, who waited 13 years to open the stadium, walked to the middle to a standing ovation.

The Trinidad and Tobago Brian Lara XI were 24 for one chasing 144 for victory after the International XI posted 143 runs for five wickets.

Lara invited a number of his friends and former teammates to play alongside him in the exhibition T20 match including Sir Curtly Ambrose, South African Herschelle Gibbs, Mervyn Dillon, Dinanath Ramnarine, Jamaican- born Englishman Devon Malcolm and Corey Collymore.

Collymore decided to add more excitement to the night, bowling a bouncer with his first ball to his former teammate Lara.

Collymore also ran straight down the wicket to Lara after deliverying the ball, probably to ask Lara how is the bounce of the pitch at his brand new facility. The crowd was glued to the action in the middle as Lara reminded everyone of his ability as he struck Malcolm for a six over long off.

Lara and West Indies batsman Evin Lewis entertained with a 64- run partnership.

Lewis punished the International XI bowlers with some huge shots, helping himself to four fours and five sixes. Lewis also received a surprise visit, as a man with a PNM flag ran onto the field to greet Lewis after he struck another six. Lewis retired on 62 off 34 deliveries as the Lara XI were cruising on 88/1 in the 11th over. Dwayne Bravo, who made his debut for West Indies at the end of Lara’s international career, entered the middle.

Lara, who was an excellent player of spin bowling reminded Imran Khan of that, hitting the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force leg-spinner for a straight four followed by a six over long-on.

Nothing could spoil Lara’s night as he was dropped at wide longon and the ball went for six.

Lara, who struck two fours and four sixes, decided to retire on 44 off 33 balls. He received another standing ovation as he left the field, and made the evening even more special for one ball boy, presenting his gloves to the youngster.

After Bravo was bowled by Ian Bradshaw for 10, West Indies Under-19 cricketer Kirstan Kallicharan and West Indies cricketer Jason Mohammed guided the Lara XI to 146/2 in 16.5 overs.

Bradshaw (1/15) and Collymore (1/20) snatched one wicket apiece.

Earlier, Gibbs top scored with 56 not out (two fours, four sixes) off 48 deliveries, while former West Indies batsman Kirk Edwards contributed 30. Bowling for the Lara XI, Kevon Cooper took 2/10 in two overs, while Mohammed (1/11), Bravo (1/16) and Ramnarine (1/25) all grabbed one wicket each. Lara also decided to bowl one over, conceding 16 runs in the last over.

Speaking to reporters after the 13th annual Mother’s Day Programme at the Women’s Prison, St Louis said: “I am better and I will be better and I owe it to the Creator. Some say God but I say the Creator.” Giving an example of her progress since being imprisoned, several years ago, a visibly proud St Louis said she had recently written the CXC English-Language paper “and I know to myself that I got a distinction.” She said when she returned to the prison after writing the paper, it dawned on her that people must try not to be influenced negatively by others.

“I learnt that don’t ever let somebody change your mind to what you know. If it is that you know that you are something, you must know you can something better.” St Louis, who turns 27 on September 29, is charged with the murder of security guard Robert Bobb in April 2013.

Quite stylish in her pair of silver heels and black pencil pants, St Louis was among a group of inmates who got to spend time with their children and other loved ones at the Women’s Prison function, ahead of today’s Mother’s Day observance.

Yesterday, St Louis was visited by her daughter Trevell, niece Jahmeela Williams and twin nephews, Ezekiel and Elijah Dunbar.

She said Trevell was the product of her relationship with her first boyfriend.

Asked if she had other children, St Louis joked: “So many I can’t keep check.” Imprisoned for quite some time, St Louis said she has been often told that the mind was the secret to withstanding the ordeal.

“It is about the way you develop your mind at the end of the day because of all the different types we dealing with and you make a child, you don’t make a mind.

Being away from my daughter made me understand that. It is real but God is good,” she said.

She urged her fellow inmates and people outside of the prison walls “to find the Creator before finding yourselves.” “He will make a way.

This (referring to herself) is a work in progress and we ain’t reach there yet.” St Louis also urged all biological mothers and mother figures to recognise and celebrate their contribution.

“Blessings to all mothers.

The fathers who have been mothers. The mothers who have been father and mother, like my mother. I really appreciate the people that have been there for me as a mother, when my mother could not be there for me physically.” St Louis said forgiveness was also a key ingredient in the rehabilitative process.

“Forgiveness is very important but I am not a person that has ever really not forgiven somebody that has done something wrong to me.” She added: “Honestly, when you enter your mother’s belly after the sperm, I don’t think that the day that you born, was not the day that I got life. I have grown in life.” St Louis urged people to learn from their mistakes.

“So within anything you do in life, please grow. Don’t fall, grow first.”

Record-breaking is the hobby of Gertrude Ann Browne-John, better known in the sporting world as “Miss Ann”. She described that particular experience as, “A feeling I cannot explain because we won being the underdogs. The odds were against us from day one and it was even better to repeat the celebration with the men.” The TT’s Hall-of-Famer, as an administrator, must have been ebullient by the achievement, but was more relieved to _ nally be victorious at this level – a feat she did not accomplish in her two ICC World Cups 50 overs in 1993 and 1997 as captain, then in 2005 as coach.

Her appreciation for sports started while in the womb of her national cricketing mother Bernice, just over 60 years ago in Belmont, and continued as she grew up in a sporting family – seven sisters, four brothers and her cricket loving parents. All eight females played for the family team, Merry Girls and two of her sisters Louise and Beverly also represented both the national and West Indies teams.

The Humming Bird silver awardee attended Melville Memorial Girls Primary School and St Francois Girls College. She recalled, “I was doing the Mathematics O’ Level exams and my father was outside in the car waiting on me to play a cricket match as soon I was completed.” Being a national cricketer was not challenging enough for the polymath sportswoman, so she took up hockey at the Paragon club and became a dual national player. This decision was not only bene_ cial to her but to TT, as it harnessed the skills development of the country’s most capped and probably best ever hockey player, Kwandwane Browne.

“Kwan is my nephew but he grew up with me from two-years-old. He attended hockey matches with me and we allowed him to play with us. There were mornings I woke up to hear balls knocking against the wall, and this was when he was only _ ve-years-old. I’m proud of what he continues to achieve.” The time management expert reminisced, “It was difficult to be playing two national sports, especially when both of them are played in the same seasonal period. So, I had cricket practice on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday afternoon, plus Hockey on a Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday mornings.” The TT’s Top 50 Sporting Legends inductee remembered, “I left for Jamaica with the national cricket team for the Regional Cricket Tournament, which we won and a couple days after returning home I left again with the national hockey team for the Caribbean Tournament.

And we were also victorious. In those days, I worked as a Customs Officer and I didn’t take vacations because I was so ashamed for being away so often on national duty.” She represented TT in hockey at two Central American and Caribbean (CAC) and two Pan American Games between (1986-1991), while her cricket career lasted 22 years from (1975-1997). Her most notable match was against Australia in 1993 World Cup when she batted the entire innings and scored 65 not out.

She endured early struggles such as the stigma of women participating in a male dominating sport of cricket, as well as the _ nancial strain to purchase the expensive cricket gear. But, she overcame it due to her full-time support of family members, coaches and teammates, with her husband, Septimus being at the top of the list. So how did motherhood factor in in her hectic sporting life? “My husband is really supportive, believe it or not he loves sports more than me, and with my intense schedule he took the responsibility of minding our daughter, Sasha.” She boasts about her friendship-style relationship with Sasha. “I tried to pattern myself like my mother because she was a special person, she was always there for all her children. I learnt that motherhood increases your responsibility; you must adjust and have a good relationship with your children,” something that is re_ ected in the special message Sasha sent to her mother via WMN.

“My mom is one of my closest friends who has given me the opportunity to be open with her and I’ve grown to appreciate that. She has done everything in her life with such dignity, class and respect. She taught me to be kind to others and always stay humble. People who know her would know that she’s a very simple person despite all the great things she has done. She is not only the type of mom I hope to be some day but she’s also the sort of person I strive to be every day! Mom, because this day is so special in terms of honouring our mothers, I would like to publicly thank you for everything you have done for me and express how for grateful and honoured I am to have a mom like you. I love you!” Miss Ann lives by her favourite quote, “True love is forever” as she continues to do what she loves, for as long as possible

Sport has always been a part of Merle’s life as she grew up in California, Couva which was relatively close to the Gilbert Park where cricket and football were played at a local and international level. Being the last of six siblings she was responsible for maintaining test cricket scores for the public on a chalk board at her family’s place of business while everyone else played. But, in a short period of time, developing on her observation skills she became the best of the crew as she always had company to practice whether in tabletennis, football or cricket.

Then, tragedy struck for Merle as both parents died within a year of each other, leaving her devastated.

But she used it as motivation to strive for success.

A few months later, she had a more positive life changing moment which assisted her transition from a recreational to a national player as she attended a Caribbean Table Tennis Championships held in Trinidad.

She began her table- tennis career immediately and the Naparima Girls High School student represented TT from 1960-1964, winning Caribbean awards in 1960 for most promising and most improved player one year later. Despite having to focus on her Cambridge exams, the twinkle-toed Merle captured the national singles and mixed doubles competition in 1963. Her most notable career victory was winning the Women`s Doubles at the 1975 US Open A Class in Houston, Texas.

Due to her excellent performances, the defensivestyle player was nominated in 1964 for Sports Person of the Year. “Those days there was one award, no separation for male or female. I went up against Roger Gibbon, Johnny de Peza, Thora Best and Charlie Davis.” Accompanying her eldest brother, who was a national football referee to School Inter-col, North vs South, Malvern vs Maple games encouraged her to follow in his footsteps to become a referee. Following her mantra “Live the life you speak”, in 1963 she became the _ rst female football referee in Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean, and possibly the Commonwealth. The “Lady Ref” did numerous matches at Skinner Park and Mahaica Oval, and was recently recognised by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association for this achievement dated 54 years ago.

“In 1964, I left in the prime of my sporting career to study Urban Geography at the University of British Columbia, Canada. I always wondered what would have been if I stayed at home.” She continued to _ y the TT _ ag with distinction as she played table-tennis for her university and refereed friendly football matches.

To convince Merle to put away a whistle or a tabletennis racquet at any time is almost impossible, but she described the time she had to as the best moment of her life. “Motherhood is the best feeling in the world. It’s hard work, a serious job and you always feel that you can do a better job. I had to drop out of sports, work, and the children took all the time. But it couldn’t be possible without support. My son Chaka is 47 and my daughter Tanisha is 45, oh my goodness where has the time gone?” She returned to playing table- tennis and participated regularly in tournaments throughout Canada and USA.

The Engineering Technologist adapted another role to promote TT`s culture in Canada. “I lived in Edmonton, Alberta for many years too and while there I was on the Board of directors of Cariwest, which staged the largest Carnival out West. Then I moved back to Vancouver where I was the VP and treasurer of the Trinidad and Tobago Cultural Society of British Columbia, where I was involved in staging cultural events. I even had parang cruises at Christmas.” She was also a member of the Vancouver Black Action Group, as she was an ardent follower of Black history.

The current number _ ve ranked, Merle returned home permanently just under a decade ago and she started working straight off the plane. “I helped Harvard structure its fraternity to be a part of Trinidad and Tobago Table Tennis Association. I did the same at QPCC (Queen’s Park Cricket Club), although they played for decades but now we have our own training centre and a continuous league. Hopefully, one day QPCC could produce various teams and have a coaching programme for our youths.” When Merle is not listening to the music of Bobby Womack, or reading her favourite book, Younger Next Year for Women, she is probably sitting on a committee or revising a constitution for an association.

So, whenever you see this enthusiastic, well-dressed, hot-mouthed little lady at the Queen’s Park Oval, Hasely Crawford Stadium or staying low and chopping multiple balls at a table tennis tournament, remember her contribution to sport.

The exhibition began on April 12 and ended on May 6. It showcased the creativity of final-year visual arts students of the DCFA at the National Museum and Art Gallery in Port-of-Spain.

The art work of 25 students included paintings, sculptures, installations, photography, product designs, and fashion designs.

Young design student, Jerrell Riley in his piece, Wide Awake, explores the cultural realm, focusing on the Trinbagonian youth’s connection to their own cultural identity.

He uses coveralls as his medium to symbolise the productivity of the local work force, attaching prominent cultural figures such as the country’s first prime minister Dr Eric Williams, Olympic gold medallist Keshorn Walcott and artist Carlisle Chang to his work. Riley marries the concepts of fashion and cultural icons to promote nationalism and patriotism in the labour force.

Riley says his design is aimed at “taking our local culture and consciousness into the street fashion realm”. Wide Awake, he said, encourages the youth to look inward and promote hardworking values.

A Memoriam created by Joy Rajnauth is a special dedication to her mother. The sculptural hand positions depict emotions and moments that Rajnauth experienced with her mother. They portray the influential impact of her mother’s career as a seamstress, as well as her level of spirituality. Rajnauth hopes her art help viewers understand the parent/child connection. Impenetrable, an insulation sculpture created by Virginia D’Ornellas demonstrated the artist’s inner emotional journey in understanding herself.

It is moulded from layers of clay and plaster, which she says represents her self-discovery in making and breaking the wall of forgiveness in her mind. D’Ornellas believes creating art is important not only for the viewers but for artists as well because without it, “we lose what it is to be real and human”.

Artist Shayna Karim uses design as her personal outlet to help solve problems in society. Karim’s piece, Al-Jadidah is a fashion and detailing design for the hijab. Her inspiration comes from her own cultural up-bringing, in which a struggle has always existed for people who keep the Islamic practice of wearing a hijab. Karim’s ambition is to introduce unique Arabic fashion designs that are expressive, trendy while still being modest. She also wants her fashion to not be limited to Islamic women, but incorporated into the wardrobes of every Caribbean woman.

Camille Parris, one the fledgling artists, revealed her functional design called Octopals.

She said its intent is to address the lack of attention given to cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that affects many children.

Parris’ younger brother lives with cerebral palsy and depends on a wheelchair to get around.

However, she said, its design does not always accommodate his needs. Octopals, a colourful wheelchair attachment, is meant to change this. The attachment takes the shape of an octopus that provides back-support. The legs can be adjusted to fit each child’s individual need. She uses bright green, yellow and red to appeal to the children. Her art piece is intended “to create comfort and therapy for kids” and to provide a supportive pal for children with cerebral palsy.

The 33-year-old, who plays both midfield and striker positions for Trinidad and Tobago, has been a member of the national squad since the early 2000s.

Even in the twilight of her career, she noted that she deals with her tasks, on and off the field, to the best of her ability.

“At times, it’s been difficult balancing the two but, for the love of the game, you sacrifice a lot,” said Tasha, during an interview at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, moments before a TT team training session.

“Having loved ones like my family and also my teammates supporting me along the way, that’s where the help and encouragement comes from.”

Tasha’s husband, Kareem “Tiny” Joseph, has been a long-serving player with TT Pro League club Morvant Caledonia United and, together, they have a seven-year-old daughter, Kailah.

Asked, during her pregnancy, if she pondered whether to continue playing sports or did she have the drive to play regardless, Tasha responded, “I always believed in combining the two, while playing the sport and having a family.

“I never had doubts in giving up football to go start a family. I always thought I could do the two and I did.”

She also admitted that her teammates regularly ask her about the challenges she faces being both a mom and an active footballer.

“Teammates ask me all the time about it because they all are women too and they want to know what the experiences are,” she said. “Some of them are probably setting their minds on having a family. So, the questions are always there.”

As far as her career is concerned, Tasha sees herself playing for “probably a year or two years.”

She stated, “that’s how long I see myself playing. I gave all what I have to give before. The body’s getting older.”

Regarding Kailah, Tasha revealed, “Right now, I don’t think she’s focused on football or I haven’t seen anything like that. Both parents (are) footballers and you’re never to know if she’ll follow in (those) footsteps.”

However, she is keen to encourage her daughter 100 percent, if she decides to take up football, or any sporting discipline for that matter.

“Whatever it is she wants to do that is positive, I would always be there for her,” Tasha said. “It doesn’t matter what sport she chooses I would support her because I took that avenue as well in sport. So I would always support her, it doesn’t matter what.”

Asked if she wants to grow her family, she replied, “Yea, for sure, one more because I don’t want more than two kids. So… soon.”

Finally, how does she and her husband juggle both parenting and football?

“He’s the better half of me so we co-parent very well, together with the football, because he understands what I’m going through and I understand what he’s going through,” she responded.

“I think it’s very easy for us t

Today, I have streamlined a makeup routine for all you busy moms out there. A little makeup can go a long way, for not only helping you look rested and radiant, but giving you a moment to actually relax. I know a lot of moms who look forward to their morning beauty routine, just because it gives them an excuse to sit alone, clear their head and relax for a few minutes while they prepare themselves to take on the day.

If you can spare five minutes from your busy day, then you can do this. I have designed this routine to be quick, efficient and toddler-proof, using multi-purpose products that will make you look more awake and refreshed. The most important rule is to skip any unnecessary steps; if you have clear skin, skip foundation. If you have full or natural eyebrows, skip filling them in. This is the key to getting things done quickly.

Let’s get started on your five-minute face. Firstly, always protect your skin. When you are on the go, you can forget to apply your sun protection, which can lead to premature aging. The last thing you want on top of your busy life if to accelerate the appearance of hyperpigmentation and wrinkles. Whether you choose to apply it in the form of moisturiser, BB cream or foundation, be sure to keep it in your routine. Even a quick run to the grocery or picking your kids up from school can expose you to the sun’s harmful rays, which over time, can be damaging.

Tip: If you have an infant or toddler, I recommend skipping heavy foundation. They can reach out and grab your face, scratching your skin with their tiny nails. Your makeup will end up under those delicate fingernails of theirs, so the less you have on, the better. Opt for a lightweight tinted moisturiser, powder foundation, or skip it completely if you don’t need the coverage. Definitely avoid heavier cream or liquid formulas.

If your skin is clear but you have dark circles, only apply concealer under your eyes. It shouldn’t be lighter than your skin tone since there won’t be any foundation for it to blend or fade into; just your bare skin. I like liquid concealers for this step because they’re the easiest to blend and look the most natural.

Tarte’s Shape Tape or LA Girl Pro Conceal are my picks. Lightly set under eyes with powder to reduce the chance of your concealer creasing. Perk up your cheeks with a sweep of blush or bronzer; a little colour on the cheeks will help to add definition to your face and lift your complexion, making you look more awake and healthy. Opt for a baked blush, or one that has a nice luminosity to it, so you won’t have to highlight separately.

Sweep a bit of your bronzer over your eyelids with a fluffy blending brush. This will add some definition to your eyes without much effort. If you want to, you can apply a liquid or pencil eyeliner to your upper lash line to add definition to your eyes. Create whatever style you are comfortable with, whether that’s smokey liner, winged cat eyes, or classic liner. If you can’t manage doing eyeliner, that’s okay. Just curl your eyelashes if you need to, and apply a generous coat of your favourite mascara. Focus on the roots of your lashes, and wiggle the wand upwards and outwards. This will create depth at the base of your lashes, which can actually look like eyeliner. Fill in your eyebrows if you need to with either pencil or powder, and set them with a brow gel if the hairs are unruly.

Lastly, apply your favourite lip colour. Whether that’s a bold red or pretty pink lipstick, a tinted lip balm or a lip gloss. The look we created is neutral enough to work with whatever lip your heart desires.

Joelisa, a goal attack and goal shoot for TT and Police, is also the mother of five-year-old Jacelon Adams and a crime scene investigator at the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service. Joelisa is among a select few to lead TT at a Netball World Cup, resulting in a ninth-place finish at the 2015 edition in Sydney, Australia.

Joelisa, who started playing netball at age nine under the guidance of Enid Browne, said the sport has taught her valuable life lessons which she hopes Jacelon will emulate.

“Most importantly I would say discipline – discipline, discipline, discipline. I am very competitive and the ball will not always roll into your court all the time. Sometimes you lose, but you must have the mindset that ‘I lost this time or the person outplayed me this time, but the next time that is not going to happen.’ The discipline of sticking to a time schedule and sticking to what you are doing and doing that until you accomplish it.”

Joelisa explained it is important to understand that preparation is key to succeed in life. “Discipline is a wide umbrella, the aspect of training and preparing yourself for something is important. You can’t just appear one day and say, ‘Hey I could real jump.’ Or in his school work he can’t say ‘I real smart or I know this’, you have to prepare yourself both physically and mentally.”

Joelisa, who captained the Morvant Laventille Secondary School team, reflected on the first time she played for TT as a junior athlete.

“My first coach Miss Enid Browne, she groomed us actually for the national team because her objective was always to make the national team. The time that she said, ‘you are now okay to go and try out for the national team’ was for the Under-16 national team, when I was the age of 15.”

Joelisa said balancing her netball career, her job and motherhood is challenging at times but says she has learned how to prioritise.

“It is a bit challenging, but what I do really well is prioritise. My first thing on the list is him (Jacelon). He is with me all the time, all of my national training and Police service training also. It is a bit challenging sometimes, because of course he has homework and projects to do. It is basically trying to manage our time because outside of my schedule, he has a time table also. So far, however, it has been working out really well.”

Joelisa, who admires the late Jean Pierre and Irene van Dyk of New Zealand, says she feels sad to leave her son to compete in tournaments overseas.

Joelisa was back on the court mere months after he was born and says her support system made that possible.

“It is really difficult (to leave him). When I had him in 2011, we had a tournament here in Trinidad in 2012. After having him I came back to the court when he was three months. It was extremely difficult when I was away from him. The tournament was here, thank God, so his dad brought him to all the games. My first time leaving him we went to South Africa. That was extremely hard because I am a very territorial person. I am like a lioness when it comes to him so I am always over the shoulder of everybody who has him. The first time I left him I literally cried I would admit, but I knew that he was in good hands of course with my mom and his dad. I called every single chance I got and messaged to make sure that he was okay.

“What keeps me going is that I am doing something for my country and I am trying to make him proud also.”

Jacelon may also represent this country soon. Joelisa revealed her son, who is always by her side, is showing athletic ability in cricket, football and basketball, and is a favourite among her teammates.

“He grew up on the court, he knows all the players, all the players know him.”

I’m well known for my love of Korean television, but lately I’ve gotten into Chinese fantasy dramas too. So, there I was engrossed in one particular episode, when the ‘star boy’ of the series said, ‘The mother is arrogant and deceitful you can’t expect the son to be magnanimous’.

Aside from the fact that the English vocabulary of a Chinese drama seems to be larger than that of many native English speakers, he had a valid point. Children learn from modelling their parents, I’m not saying all children are going to be little replicas of their parents, but let’s just say the odds of being very different are slim.

Most parents want the best for their children and hope they grow up to be upstanding/outstanding members of society. We want our children to bring us honour through their successes. Who doesn’t hope to raise a National Scholarship winner or academic genius? Look at the parents bursting with pride when results for SEA are released. You think that just is just a lucky accident? It takes a lot of work and dedication from both parents and children.

If on the other hand you think all it takes to raise a National Scholarship winner is making sure your child has his/her schoolbooks, uniform and lunch and snacks you are sadly mistaken. It takes an investment of your time and resources. I’m reminded of Former US President Barak Obama who spoke of his mother waking up in the wee hours of the morning to help him with his schoolwork. She was willing to sacrifice of herself to ensure her son was well educated. Also by example she pursued higher education, so her children saw first hand the sacrifices required to achieve and we all know how that turned out.

The importance of providing a good example for children is not limited to academics but it is crucial when learning money management skills. No one is born knowing how to handle money, it is a skill you learn as you go along in life. The first place you are exposed to money management skills is at home from your parents. I have a neighbour who learned the hard way how to manage his money, he did a great job over the years and made his family financially secure. Very few middle class families can consider themselves financially secure but he was able to achieve that.

Although it was tough on his son (you know, he was young and had a good job and wanted to go a bit wild) but in the end, when home ownership is an almost impossible dream for many young people, he was able to secure a home, pay off his mortgage early, flip the house and upgrade. No mean feat for someone under 40. He learnt the lessons of financial management at home and that gave him a head start.

When making a household budget include your children in the process. Give them an allowance that they can count as income. This helps them learn how to budget their allowance to get the things they want and need.

My six-year-old gets $5 a week, if he wants something like snacks I don’t approve of, he can buy it with his own money. If he wants me to buy a special toy or game that costs a lot, I ask him to save his allowance and contribute a specific sum toward the item.

The most critical aspect parents influence their children is in modelling morals. You can’t be a lying, cheating, old scamp and expect your children to be honest and upstanding citizens. I am stunned by the number of men I encounter, who chased skirts like their lives depended on it, then are upset when their daughters grow up to be as promiscuous as they are. To quote my deceased grandmother, the late, great Pearlie ‘Sheep don’t make goat!’.

This isn’t long ago where parents could say ‘Do as I say not as I do’. In those days there was the community, the church, the school system and the extended family to make up for the shortcomings of parents.

Now that these supporting institutions have more or less collapsed and the responsibilities for the moral teaching of our children, falls on parents. Not living the life we claim we are, is not going to wash with modern children. Modelling decent, honest behaviour and good manners is the only chance you have of raising well-behaved, honest children. That means waiting your turn in line, following the rules of the road and saying please, excuse me and thank you. Don’t be a cussbud or listen to music with profanity, then be shocked when you hear your children using the same words they heard.

Wondering why the youth of today are so violent and angry? Look at the parenting they received. I know all about ‘you could make the child but you can?t make their mind’ but the odds of a child being shown the straight and narrow from the beginning, turning into a delinquent are slim. I remember one very attractive, single mother who came to me asking for help. Her teenage daughter had a ‘boyfriend’ who apparently had been living in her house for a month. The first question to my mind was, how can someone live her house for a month and not be noticed? The mother’s attention was on her relationships and looking good and liming. I had to give her the harsh truth, this is what you have shown your daughter, how can you demand now that she live a life different to yours? It’s not just mothers but fathers too. Daddy is rude and disrespectful to Mummy and Junior thinks this is the way to communicate with women. So he also speaks to Mummy in a rude and disrespectful manner, since that’s what men do but he’s punished for it. The hypocrisy of it all.

So parents, examine yourself and become the kind of adults you want your children to become. It’s not easy but if you don’t have the discipline to guide your children by example, how can you demand it of them? Modelling living an upright and respectable lifestyle for your children, is much more effective than beating them. It takes more effort but parents aren’t your children worth it?

Delivering the feature address at the Women’s Prisons 13th annual Mother’s Day function, in Arouca, Johnson said while it has been the custom to have only a small number of mothers celebrate with their children at the function, in the past, that must now change.

“It really tugs at me to see the kids here coming to come and visit with their Moms but it tugs at me even more when we have to choose a certain amount of mothers. We have to decide who comes out for the children to spend the day with and that destroys me,” she said.

“So, I am making a pledge, once I am in the Trinidad and Tobago Prison Service, that from next year every mother who has a child and is in the women’s prison would be allowed to have their children here with them.” Johnson expressed hope that corporate citizens in TT will rise to the occasion.

“I know corporate Trinidad and Tobago, if the problem is funding, corporate Trinidad and Tobago will cause this to happen.

We have a lot of good people out there and we have a lot of good people in here.” Underscoring her commitment to the rehabilitation of the female inmates, Johnson spoke briefly about her own personal trials to arrive at the function.

“I too, having my own struggles to come here this morning, this programme takes a lot out of me and when you have to deal with your own self and you still have to deal with all the other selves around you, it is difficult,” said a teary-eyed Johnson.

“I sat in my car outside there for about half and hour with my own mother trying to cheer me up for me to come here this morning because I was not supposed to here, I was supposed to go and do a procedure this morning.

“Several things happened and I decided I am coming to the Women’s Prison this morning because this is where my heart is.

This is where I ought to be.” Johnson thanked prisons commissioners for their commitment to elevating standards within the Service.

“We cannot continue doing things the same way all the time.

It is not working at all,” she said.

Johnson said Programmes and Industry was a major unit in the prisons service.

“We are working towards changing lives one client at a time because we have to do it,” she said. “We can no longer sit by and blame the police and blame the commissioner and blame the minister and blame the prime minister . We have our jobs to do and all we have to do is to do what we each have to do.” Earlier in the function, the inmates performed the popular Sinach song, Waymaker, amid rousing applause from the audience.

Johnson urged guests to internalise the lyrics of the song “If we embody the lyrics of the songs we sing and love and truly live it out, the world would be a better place,” she said.

In his address, Robert Payne, executive director of Prison Fellowship TT, said there there were many positive things happening in the prisons that are never highlighted.

He also called for a shift in the positioning of the Women’s Prisons Mother’s Day function to accommodate staff and their families.

Payne suggested a neutral Saturday ether before or after the week of Mother’s Day, which is held annually on the second Sunday in May.

Special tribute was paid to Soroptomists International for their three decades of service to the Women’s Prison.

Other speakers at the event were Assistant Superintendent of Prisons Avellina Kanhai, Superintendent Jude Gordon and Reverend Michelle Modeste-Homer.