Di li an Kreyol/Say it in Creole

One of the biggest fears of an immigrant parent is having their kids grow up in foreign surroundings, assimilate into the new culture and completely abandon the culture and language of their native country. Haitian parents are no exception. I remember admonishments of "Timoun yo oblije aprann pale Kreyòl (the kids need to learn to speak creole)" and "Poukisa ou pa ka di sa nan Français (why can't you say that in French)". 

When I was growing up, grann mwen (my grandmother) could give you a few words in English and could understand a few more, but was very self conscious about her accent so it was either French or Creole when speaking with her. Both of my parents are fluent in English, French, Creole, and Spanish (not to brag but you can throw in a little Greek and Latin too) so comprehension/communication wasn't an issue with them. For them it was a matter of pride. 

Growing up, I was surrounded by relatives and church family who spoke French and Creole and to Monsieur et Madame (Mr. and Mrs.) Cinous it was essential for their kids to master the languages as well. So all conversation, family worship, and literature (outside of school textbooks) were either in French/Creole or meant to teach/improve either language. In fact my first Bible was the Louis Segond French Edition. Being that French is the official language of Haiti my dad pushed it on us more but we were expected to speak Creole as well. Our instruction would begin at home and we used church as our platform to practice. I must confess, even back then I realized the importance of learning the languages so I took to it all in rather enthusiastically.

Aside from appeasing my parents, learning French and Creole came in handy in school, at work, and definitely in social settings. The ladies find a man who could speak another language rather debonair. I may have used that fact to my advantage once or a hundred times...but who's counting. Regrettably in comparison to my grade school days, I'm now a novice at best at speaking either language but I do find myself sharing the same fears my parents once had. I'm currently in the process of rediscovering my Francophone and Creolophone roots. Most importantly, I promise to give my future kids the same push to become multilingual...well not as aggressive as my parents but you catch my drift. I also encourage all of you to do the same. Invest in learning another language, especially that of your ancestors wherever they may be from.

A wise man once said,

❝If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.❞
‒Nelson Mandela

❝Because without our language, we have lost ourselves. Who are we without our words?❞
‒Melina Marchetta

❝One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.❞
‒Frank Smith

❝You can never understand one language until you understand at least two.❞
‒Geoffrey Willans

❝To have another language is to possess a second soul.❞
‒Charlemagne

❝Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going.❞
‒Rita Mae Brown

So...I couldn't decide which quote I liked best, OH WELL!!!!

Na we pi ta/A plus tard (See you later)