Struggle for Togetherness! PLM's Annual Getaway for Life & Lessons

Every year members of PLM gather at a pre-determined location for 3 days of bonding, building and family time. This year was no different. This year, the PLM family decided to hit the beach with an ocean view; a scene which still reflects in our memory.

We went to the movies together, shopped for groceries together, cooked together, laughed, got angry, and reconciled with each other. On another day, our children ran along the beach for a midday exercise, followed by a series of push-ups. Running in sand, a new experience for our youth, tested the endurance of both their mind and body. A baba may prepare a breakfast for everyone in the morning while a mama may prepare a nurturing meal for everyone in the evening. One day may be exclusively for relaxation while another day is packed with conversations on better organizing methodology, a book we have been assigned to read during the weekend or a writing assignment.

For those looking to build camaraderie, the foundation of a cohesive organization and nation, it is imperative to spend as much time as possible in each other's presence. Our theme for the year is, "struggle for togetherness!" This struggle is vital for collective spiritual and moral development. This most sacred gathering time allows us to see each other in all of our different phases. Who is cranky in the morning vs. who is a jovial morning person? Which cereal is the favorite? Who is the best at teaching learning time for our children? What conversations make someone uncomfortable? Who likes to sneak off for unmentioned alone time? These are all questions which have great significance for longterm nation building initiatives.

People who have various backgrounds, coming together for a shared mission must understand our variations and overcome them together. This is the plight of organizing African people in America for the purpose of African liberation worldwide. Each year, we learn something new about each other. Just as a husband and wife can learn about each other after 20 years of their union, so can a modest organization, like PLM and yours, learn to enhance our family dynamic by learning about each other as we grow and evolve as individuals in a collective. This is the true adaptation of "knowledge of self", according to African deep-thought. Who are you and who are we outside of our regularly scheduled activities or events? Those must be answered for refinement/perfectability to occur. We share our experiences so that others may utilize what works and discard what doesn't....That being said, this is one that works!

May the ancestors continue to bless and guide PLM.