My Story
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Childhood
I was born Lucia Thimothe on a Tuesday afternoon January 10, 1928 in Trou-Du-Nord Haiti, to Lucette Brouard and Alphonse Thimothe. My mother Lucette was a bookkeeper at Madras in an American textile company. My father Alphonse, a very calm and conservative man was a judge and also practiced Law.
Growing up in my hometown, I was particularly gifted, after a contest in which I answered all the questions, my family along with the principal of the school decided it will be best to send me to the city, Cap-Haitian to continue my primary schooling. I started at the sisters of Saint Joseph de Cluny commonly called “Mere Bleu”. While in au Cap I was exposed to a more cosmopolitan and diverse crowd, which opens my mind to various possibilities. All the sudden, the world became a much bigger place. After completing my breuvet I went to continue in the Capital, Port-au-Prince. Throughout my schooling I met a few people that made a big impact in my life like the nuns, some of my teachers and multiple friends.
2. Adulthood
I rejoined my family back in Trou-du-Nord where I became a teacher. Suddenly I felt an urge to be an entrepreneur. I bought my first sewing machine by selling all my old books. Before you know, I was sewing clothes, shirts, and pants for everybody and anybody. The sewing machine became the center of my life until my first child was born. That was Vayola also known as Tichou, she was everything for me, I had that sense of pride that swell inside me as I watched this bundle of joy whom I brought to the earth.
Then came the man of my life Jean Samuel Lamour, we had a long journey together until he passed away in 1998.
The princess was born, Alta also known as Tita; she was a princess not because she had a prince but because her father was the king.
Lynda also known as Dadie was next in line, shy and timid at that time.
Josee also known as Fifie or Jo was born, very active, happy and joyful.
Then come the boys,
Real also known as Re, very conservative and quiet,
At last the baby boy was born, Rodney also known as Rody, he was the charmeur.
Children are heritage from Lord, offspring and reward from him. The moment my children were born, my life changed. As a mother I worked very hard day and night to provide for my family and my children. I help them to study, help them with homework, give them the proper education, sent them to good school; I emphasized a lot on education. I taught my children about the importance of family, the respect for elder and the love for each other. Going to church was also an important part of our life. Raising my children was my priority. Family, friends and neighbors were there in that journey with me too. Like they say it takes a village to raise a family.
Our home was open to many over the years. Only by giving that you are able to receive. Helping others is like helping yourself. They say “as we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own path”.
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Leaving Haiti
The big approval letter had arrived; I’m on my way to America.
Leaving Haiti was the most difficult decision I ever had to make in my life. It was stressful. I have to leave behind: husband, children, familiar places, familiar faces and everyone that I knew and loved to come to America, the so-called “land of opportunity” and live the American dream.
Regardless, I was determined to move forward because in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.
My first contact with my new reality was all but rosy, I landed in JFK airport during the month of February, and it was freezing cold, dark, depressing and lonely. Unlike in Haiti, everyone was busy, no one has time for you, no soul to talk to, I became mute, I was isolated, crying, and desperate, and I ask myself why I am here? Everything was different, all those very tall building, moving escalator, subway etc. I was locked inside the house, no backyard to call the neighbors, I was afraid to make a phone call not to incur “a large bill”. I could barely said good morning in English so every task was a mountain, every information required an interpreter, I had no privacy, my life was hell, I taught someone had beamed me up to a different planet.
Then the season changed. Slowly but surely people came to my rescue. Friends and family helped me look for various jobs. I needed to hustle, do any job to sustain my children in Haiti. Middle-aged woman with no English, no qualifications in the US, finding a job was not easy, finding a good job was impossible. I ended-up doing everything and anything legal that came my way. Walking in the dark cold morning was not fun. Before I got used to the subway system, I missed so many transfers, tuned in circle, ended up being late at time for work, when the train were not in service or had changed track, it was a nightmare for me to try to understand how to get to go around. Getting to know the New York bus system was the same experience.
When I got paid, Hatrexco was the first place you would find me making transfer.
For many years my diet consisted of “morue et banane” codfish and plantain, it was quick and cheap.
I worked every day and on weekend I went to church, visited friends and family which would give me much needed emotional support. During my tribulation I kept asking God for one thing and one thing only HEALTH, because I learnt that Health is Wealth.
New-York life
The sun rose over New-York and in my heart when my children finally immigrated to the US. I had people to talk to, had fresh news from Haiti, I could see that all those years of sacrifices were finally bearing fruit , I had a stable job, a stable home, it was time to give the opportunity to my children to be someone in this country, EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION… an investment in knowledge always paid. Despite my limited proficiency in English and knowledge of the American educational system, I used my common sense to advise them on the importance of a good college education.
Life was still not easy; resources were very limited yet by the grace of God things were moving in the right direction.
I was so proud to see my children graduating from various fields.
Vayola Registered Nurse
Alta Chef
Lynda Registered Nurse
Josee Registered Nurse
Real Engineer
Rodney Staff Sergeant in the army,
By the way if you think having kids is tough waits until they come home and told you they had joined the army!
Happy times
By far, the most joyful time in my life was the wedding bell.
Unlike the liberal culture of this country, Haitian tradition encouraged the sacro-saint union of a man and a woman. I was excited to see all my children walk to the altar. It was a major moment in my life; I was filled with emotion at each wedding, joy, happiness, nostalgia, sadness, and overwhelming pride.
Vayola and Gerard B-Jean
Alta and Jean-Joseph Larochelle after his passing, she remarried to Alix Pierre-Louis
Lynda and Peggy Pierrot
Josee and Jean-Philippe Barrau
Real and Jusline Toussaint
Rodney and Mirlande Etienne
Like you all know, the heart of a mother never changes even with grown and married children. As a mother there may come day that I will not be able to help you, but there won’t be any day that I will not try to.
They say children become closer to their parents when they became parents themselves. Here come the grandchildren. I have 19 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.
So far, my grandchildren make me so proud, I have: teachers, professor, hedge fund manager, nurse, social workers, lawyer, doctor in training, college students and some still in high school.
Remember you are the future of the family, you must stick together, stay united no matter where you live, and keep in touch. There is no excuse these days with the technology. Please create your future from your future not from you past. The world is changing fast and there are a lot of things I wish for you, first of all: be humble, have the very best life you can imagine, make time for the people and things that you love and adore, be the change that you wish to see in the world. Someday when the pages of my life end, I know that you will be one of its most beautiful chapters.
Retirement life/ legacy
For me as a person, I always thought that God give us 2 feet for a reason, to walk, go places, see the world and light up the world, if not God would have give us roots and stay still. I love to move around. My 65th birthday gift from my children was to send me on a “Grand Tour to Europe”. Looking at the Eiffel Tower and visiting the Louvre museum in France, standing in St Peter square in Vatican and the Coliseum in Rome, padding in the canal of Amsterdam and see the Big Bang in London, it was amazing, I was speechless and water was pumping thru my eyes, that was exactly 8139kms from Trou-du-Nord to Europe a very, very long way from my birthplace. Since then I had the opportunity to go all over the world.
When I turned 70yrs old, I reluctantly took my retirement as advised by my children. As far as I am concerned I can still work at 90.
Since my retirement, I was able to reconnect with my past, travel to Haiti more often, enjoying the company of friends and family still leaving in Haiti, helping the less fortunate. When I’m back in New York, I attend many church events; I remain very active despite the worries of my family. So far by the grace of Lord, I have great health, excellent memory allowing me to enjoy my life and remained useful to the community. My 90th birthday is only the rehearsal to my 95th and 100th birthday soon to come.
Thank you