Tesi Johnson, Gleaner Writer
Flair's Mother in a Million, Regenta Peck-Miller receives a gift basket from the general manager of the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel Mr. Eldon Bremner. - WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
FLAIR RECEIVED many entries for its Mother in a Million competition . The entrants stories told tragic tales of children who had been killed either in fires, by an accident, through violence or after a long period of illness. Judging was a challenge but we found a winner in Mrs. Regenta Peck-Miller's story.
We hope all mothers in Jamaica had a happy day last week Sunday.
There were many happy faces in the Grand Jamaica Suite at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel on Sunday, as mothers, mother figures and their respective family members and friends enjoyed the entertainment and delightful fare being served at the Pegasus' annual Mother's Day Champagne Brunch.
CELEBRATION
One of those happy faces was Mrs. Regenta Peck-Miller, the Flair's designated Mother in a Million, who was joined by her grandson, daughter, son-in-law and niece in the day's celebration.
Ms. Peck-Miller was a portrait of happiness as she indulged in the delights from the buffet, while grooving to the musical forays of Harold Davis and Friends. Michelle Newell also graced the stage and performed a number of gospel favourites that had the crowd singing praises. Maria Myrie performed, and as expected, took the crowd on a journey via her powerful voice.
MINI-COMPETITION
Mrs. Peck-Miller made the most of all the day's activities, and even braved the stage to enter a mini-competition where she won herself a basket of goodies in reward for correctly giving the Pegasus' age as 33 years. The hotel's General Manager, Mr. Eldon Bremner, presented her with the winning basket, and of course she was "all smiles".
The singing group To-Isis were the last on the entertainment schedule, and for Mrs. Peck-Miller they certainly were the best. One member of the band, Richard Morgan, gave her a serenade, and even took her to her feet to dance will singing sweetly in her ear.
"The serenade was wonderful", she said excitedly. "Moreso, something about the young man who sang to me reminded me of Bunny (one of her sons who passed)", she explained. "It might have been his suit, his height, or his persona, but something about him reminded me of him, and that had me in a daze", she added. Flair had singled out mothers who lost a child or children under tragic circumstances.
SUPPORT
During their set, To-Isis fittingly sang their rendition of Shaggy's Strength of a Woman, which drew strong support from the women in the audience. Some ladies were so entertained by the performance that they took to their feet and eventually, on the invitation of Renado Stephenson of To-Isis, made their way to the stage to continue their fit of dancing. The brunch as expected was well supported and turned out to be a lot of fun for those in attendance. Moreover, Mrs. Peck-Miller had a grand time. "It was wonderful", she says; "at least I was able to forget about everything, even if for a little while and enjoy myself."
Bittersweet day
Pauline Bernard's story
placed third in Flair's Mother in a Million Competition.
Garfield Grandison, Editor-in-Chief presents one of two gifts from the Gleaner to Flair's Mother in a Million Mrs. Regenta Peck-Miller (right). Second place winner Loleith Joseph shares the moment. - WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
WHILE MOST mothers look forward to Mother's Day each year it brings renewed grief for Pauline Bernard who lost her only daughter on the memorable day.
On May 14, 1995, her only daughter died in a tragic car accident. The mother recalls the day Mother's Day took on a new meaning for her. They had all gone to church. Her daughter who was getting married and had recently moved out on her own, visited and brought her present.
She was leaving when her mother convinced her to make the trip with them to Kingston from Mandeville where the family lived. "Not even five minutes later she was dead," recalls her mother her voice laden with grief even after a decade.
Their car narrowly missed a head-on collision with another vehicle. She recalls that when she was pulled from the vehicle she saw her daughter's hand still twitching. She was sitting in the back seat. "I started crying and saying Sandy didn't want to come and now she's dead. She was crushed to death. It was a terrible thing."
TRYING TO MOVE ON
Though the wound will never heal completely, the Bernards are trying to move on. Ms. Bernard says Mother's Day was bearable this year. She said she cried a little when certain songs were played during church service.
After church (she is always asked to decorate the church in memory of her daughter), she spent a quiet day at home. "My relatives from London were here so we had a dinner and I got a lot of presents, bouquets, beautiful orchids lots of phone calls." Some of the calls she got were from her daughter's friends who always call her on Mother's Day.
- N.D.
A SAD AND LONELY DAY
Loleith Joseph, second place winner in Flair's Mother in a Million contest, receives a gift of Radox bath products from Lifestyle Editor Barbara Ellington. Mrs Joseph also received a set of pots from Pot World in May Pen, Clarendon a Digicel phone with $2,000 credit and lunch for two at the Hilton Kingston Hotel. - WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
LOLEITH JOSEPH spent another Mother's Day sad and alone. She has not been able to feel like all mothers should since the death of her two sons at the hands of gun men.
She was featured on the CVM Television Mother's Day feature 'Real Mother'. The programme highlighted the fact that Mother's Day was not only for mothers who are happy but those who are also grieving. So as Mother's Days come and go, only time can fill the void left in her life by the loss of her only two children.
-N.D.
