Relay the praise

In the song “Angels Wings”, dedicated to Caribbean mothers, I am actually singing about the life of my own mother, Zepherina Barcellos, who left many impressions on me.  From our youth, she implanted in her five children respect for elders, the importance of honesty, and the value of punctuality; it wasn’t just rhetoric with her, she lived those things. So today, when people ask me how I came by those traits, I immediately say, “That’s my mother.” As a man, she left me with another precept: when somebody does something for you or touches you, always take the time to express your appreciation or approval. Postponing it, she would emphasize,