Feb. 1, 2026

SPOTLIGHT Dr. Pascale Chery

SPOTLIGHT Dr. Pascale Chery
SPOTLIGHT Dr. Pascale Chery
Sass N Sips
SPOTLIGHT Dr. Pascale Chery

text us if... This month we are thrilled to talk with Dr. Pascale Chery! Pascale Chery is a first-generation Haitian-American who grew up in New York straddling the two cultures. Her early years were shaped mostly by the art of music. She played piano, saxophone, and composed tunes. She had every intention of becoming a musician however her parents talked her out of it for fear of not being able to support herself. She then took the decision to become a dentist...

text us if...

This month we are thrilled to talk with Dr. Pascale Chery!

Pascale Chery is a first-generation Haitian-American who grew up in New York straddling the two cultures.

Her early years were shaped mostly by the art of music. She played piano, saxophone, and composed tunes. She had every intention of becoming a musician however her parents talked her out of it for fear of not being able to support herself. She then took the decision to become a dentist.
Dr. Chery attended and completed undergraduate and graduate studies at Rutgers University and went into residency and practice thereafter.
She married shortly after dental school and bore two children. Unfortunately, the marriage didn't survive and she became a single parent early in my career. Raising two children away from family posed many challenges. However, it gave her insight on the trials and tribulations that many children face growing up in school today. Today she is writing as part of my creative expression to help children build-self confidence and self-love.

Listen in for how to win your own copy of Dr. Chery's new book!

Follow Dr. Pascale Chery on Instagram @drpascalechery

Purchase Mermaid Affirmations: Coloring Book

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...
SPEAKER_02

Hi, and welcome to this episode of Assassin's Sift Spotlight. Today we are talking to mom, doctor, author, wellness practitioner, Dr. Pascal Cherry. I am Lisa, and today I am actually just sipping on some coffee to uh you know get me through the day.

SPEAKER_01

Well, hello, hello, hi Lisa, hi Agnes. How are you guys doing? How are you guys doing? Great. Well, listen, thanks so much for having me on, you know, today. Um, I feel honored.

SPEAKER_02

Good. And let's find out what you guys are sipping on. And you guys can introduce yourself so everyone knows who's speaking and when.

SPEAKER_01

Well, I'm Dr. Pascal Cherry. What are you sipping on anything today? Actually, I have my water. Okay. My cucumber water mint.

unknown

Nice.

SPEAKER_03

Very nice.

SPEAKER_01

Refreshing, even though it's like not sunny.

SPEAKER_04

We could pretend that it's sunny. We could just pretend it's 70 degrees.

SPEAKER_02

Channel our inner palm trees. That's right.

SPEAKER_04

That's right. I'm gonna go back somewhere. And I'm your co-host Agnes, and I'm just drinking water today. I have the grandkids after this, so I um maybe I should have been drinking. Maybe maybe I should have been. But no, I'm gonna keep it on water and then I'm gonna say hydrated for tomorrow. Getting that last tattoo tomorrow. So I gotta yeah, very exciting. So I'm hydrated and well rested. I'm getting ready. I'm getting ready. Okay, I'm a little scared though. But anywho, is is this your first tattoo? No, but the placement is the back of my neck, and I'm just like, oh, I'm kind of going for the pain. Not for the pain, but I'm like, I don't care. It's a placement that matters. And I'm like, if it hurts, it hurts. I don't care. You'll be fine. Oh, you're brave. Well, this summer, I'm gonna do the foot tattoo this summer. You're really brave. It's a bone. You'll be fine. It's fine. We dealt with you know childbirth and hospital stays. This is nothing. That's true.

SPEAKER_02

I speak from experience. I have one on the back of my neck, I have one on my foot. You'll survive. You'll be fine. It'll be fine. You'll be fine. That's right. You can't be my friend.

SPEAKER_01

Plenty of drinks before.

SPEAKER_02

No, don't drink before, drink afterwards. As soon as I get home. If you drink before, they may not tattoo you. They won't tattoo you.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, that's right. That's right. You have to sign that waiver, right? Uh-huh. That you're sober and stuff like that. Yes. Yes. Okay. So, all right.

SPEAKER_04

Ex nay that.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

When I get home, it'd be a whole different story, you know? Right. Oh, right. Right.

SPEAKER_02

I'm gonna ask my silly question while you go think of yours. I got mine. Oh, okay. Does it take a moment to Google? Okay. Thumbs up a champion. All right. What is your most hated form of transportation?

SPEAKER_01

Wow, that's hard. No, actually, it's easy. I'll tell you. The bus. Okay.

SPEAKER_04

Same.

SPEAKER_01

The bus. Like, whatever you do, don't put me on a bus. Are we all here in New Jersey?

SPEAKER_04

I am She's in Jersey. Yeah. I am. We're originally from New York, Brooklyn. Okay. I'm now in Wisconsin. Woohoo! I saw that. I was like, oh. So yeah, the bus. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Agnes is in is in Wisconsin now. Okay.

SPEAKER_01

All right. Well, listen, you left the cold in this area. It's damp, no sun right now. But I will tell you something about the bus. That's the most uncomfortable place to be. And I remember growing up in Brooklyn having to take the bus to school. Now, Agnes, I don't know what part of Brooklyn you you're from, but I got um the B6.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, I used to take the B6. You used to take the B6? I went to I went to um Morrow High School. So did wait. So did I. Did you really?

SPEAKER_01

I graduated. Crazy. Let's not talk about age now. Oh okay. No, but I will tell you this. I will tell you this. Um, there are a few famous people that came out of our high school. Yes. All right. Marissa Tume. Yep. Were you in those brackets of four years, or were you after?

SPEAKER_02

I I was probably after her, but not by much. Okay.

SPEAKER_04

I was after also. Her aunt and uncle used to teach it. Well, her aunt taught it at school, uh junior high school. Yes. The teachers, I can't remember her name. I was looking at her face. Can't remember the name. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, yeah, no, definitely after her. I just looked at her age.

SPEAKER_01

Wow.

SPEAKER_02

Definitely after her. Not not by too much. Okay.

SPEAKER_01

But all right. That's so funny. A lot of people, a lot of uh famous people come out of Brooklyn. But like like that book, all the you know, there's a tree that grows in Brooklyn. Everybody's tree somewhere originated in Brooklyn. In Brooklyn. I cut her.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. So but go but I cut you off. So go back to the B6. B6.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. So for the B6, for me, I'll tell you. Um, I used to take it to go to um to the high school, and that bus was always, always packed. And it got to the point where it was so packed that um, like literally, you're like in people's faces, like, uh. And I can remember, um, I don't want to name names, but it was like a rap group uh that just came out at the time. This is like the 90s. And the group, they were high school or a little older, maybe no, they were in high school, they used to ride the B6. And when the bus got so crowded and so tight, like the guys would just like go grabbing girls. Uh it was that tight. And I said to myself, you know what? If I only had a ride to school, I wouldn't have to deal with all these people, you know, grabbing one another, just you know, just people being fresh. And um, and that was like the whole ride, you know. So the bus for me is just like mm-mm.

SPEAKER_04

Traumatic experience. I hated the bus. I would get on the train. I love a train, I'll get on the train in a heartbeat. And I think I wrote a bus. If I had to go to Manhattan, I had to go across town. It's like, okay, fine, just easier, just go across town through the park. But other than that, I would avoid the bus. I would walk before I get on the bus. I I agree.

SPEAKER_02

Right with you, I did hate, and I was far enough away. I lived on like the border, Carol Gardens in Red Hook. So I was far enough away that number one, no matter which way I went, I was in a two-fair zone. And so I had a lot of options, you know, it was like I can walk to the F and then get the B6, or you know, so many different ways. But what I actually started to do was um some sometimes I would take the 61 because I had the 61 near me, and then I would take it downtown and then walk over to get like the D train. So I didn't have to. I hate the 41, the 61, fine. The six, no. Eventually, what I used to start doing was I used to take because I had the G and the F. I was on the G and the F line. So I used to take the G to oh, is it Clinton in Washington? Okay, get out and walk over to where like Barclays is now, okay, and then take the D from there. Yeah. And that was like the easiest thing. But back then, remember we had the paper train pass the paper pass.

SPEAKER_04

So you could get in and out 100 times. Right. Right. Oh god.

SPEAKER_02

So that that was the way I got to school.

SPEAKER_04

Oh wow, I just had three stops on the G train. I'm sorry. Whatever. That's not bad. No, sorry for your pain. It was easy breezy.

SPEAKER_01

I mean too. My only one was the B6. That was it. Yeah. All right. But you know what's funny? Like, I talk to my kids, they they weren't raised in New York. So um, not I I can't even say they were raised in a big city. So when I tell them like I had to take a city bus, or there's students that had to take the train or multiple trains and then a bus, they look at me like I have like three heads. They're like, Are you serious? They're like, and little kids would do this. I said, Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's what we had to do. You know, how about some kids still do that? So I was like, you guys are like, you know, you guys are unaware of what we had to go through.

SPEAKER_02

And it was just so normal. That's the funny part, is that we all felt like this is just normal, and then you don't realize how it's not normal until you talk to someone outside of New York City and they look at you with that face like are you for real right now? Like they it's not even believable almost.

SPEAKER_03

Right.

SPEAKER_04

But it's too it's to your point where it's depending on where you're coming from. I moved to Wisconsin, my daughter was 13, and the school, if you live more than a mile and a half, or was it two miles? I don't remember, from the school, there's no transportation. Oh wow. So you have to either get a ride or walk or whatever. I'm like, you gotta be they're like, oh, that's fine, you just walk. I'm like, um my child's not walking a mile and a half, two miles of school. Luckily, we didn't live that far, but you couldn't have and you think that's okay. I'd rather have my kid on the train than walking in the snow two miles to go to school. Like, what part of making sure your kids get to school is important to you as a city, as a county? They don't care. They don't so I think throwing your kid on the train it makes more sense than figure it out, right? Figure it out. Who cares?

SPEAKER_01

I agree, I agree 100%.

SPEAKER_04

I do miss the train though. I miss, I miss so my daughter is grown, I have grandkids, I live in my whole living my best life, and the time so I want to go out, but I'm like, I gotta drive back home. You gotta drive, right? I'm like, I miss getting on the train. Falling getting off of the train my stop. I'm like, right, can't go out and have fun because I gotta drive back home. But fine.

SPEAKER_02

Well, we we have an Uber now, right? So that's that's true. Yeah, I mean, you know, right?

SPEAKER_04

Like I'll get attacked before I get in the Uber. I don't know why. Yeah, I would I would hail a taxi before I get in a Uber. Okay, but I don't know why.

SPEAKER_02

Let me know when you can hail a taxi in Wisconsin.

SPEAKER_04

Exactly why I will not be going out.

SPEAKER_02

But that's what I'm saying, Uber or lift or you know, ride share, because that you have access to now at the push of a button. So I just stay home now and just I just eat junk food in the bed and watch TV.

SPEAKER_04

Okay. Oh, so I get it. Dr. Pascal Cherry, what is tell us something? You have a book coming out, correct? Or did you just did you finish writing it?

SPEAKER_01

It's actually actually it just published, it just published in December.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, not too far off.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, no, not at all. Right around the corner. I've already had uh two book signings um at uh one of the book bookstores here in New Jersey. Um it's it's it's been a ride, it's been fun. Um, you know, it's it's it's such a it's such a a big story. I don't even know where to start. Um I think number one, my my kids were really surprised that I came out with a book. Um and just for you all to know, it's called Mermaid's affirmation, uh, affirmations coloring book. So it was really it's it really came out of a a period of where I'm in transition. I just moved from Florida. I'm here, um, I'm back home, the tri-state area. Um and I came back for family, came back for better health care for uh my family. And um while I'm here doing that and caring for my family, um, you know, time came about and I said, you know, I have some stuff here that, you know, I I worked on and I never really finished. And while I'm here helping family out and, you know, my kids out, I said, you know what? I think it's time. It's time to put out the stuff that I had sitting in the back burner, you know, it's stuff that you want to do sometimes that you don't have the time to do because you're so busy in the hustle of bustle of life, raising kids. Um, and I said, okay, well, I'm gonna get this done. And um I'm by nature, uh I mean, I shouldn't say by nature, um, I'm a practitioner, and I my my practice is pretty much focused on pediatric patients. So um what I do is, you know, I I I have kids from I tell them first tooth all the way up until 18. And um I've been doing dentistry on them for over 20 years, almost 25 probably. And this book came about from my patients, and also being a single mom and raising two kids. And I think being able to be in a position to talk with children all day, coming home to kids all day, you kind of get in that mindset of how they think, what they like, you know, things that trouble them, how they deal with things at school. It also keeps you like um up to date with what's going on with them, as opposed to when I went to school. You know what I mean? So I feel like the the book gave me an opportunity to address a few issues that I've noticed that, you know, our children are having, not just my children, but you know, the patients that I had, you know, the things they came to the office and talked to me about while they're, you know, coming for treatment. Um, and a lot of the issues that I've seen, uh, Florida uh and up here in Tri-State is bullying. You know, we have a lot of children that um that you know are are are you know from different walks of life that look that have a whole bunch of different looks, whole different types of body, body shapes and sizes, and they get bullied for it, they get ridiculed. Even worse yet, today we have social media, they blast people on social media and they say things that really you know are hurtful. And when you think about raising your kids and the type of environment that they're, you know, that they're in, you know, what you want as a parent is to make sure that they have the best possible, best possible um environment while you're raising them. But sometimes, you know, you know, things happen on the outside where sometimes you don't have too much control. And you gotta come about and try to remedy that, you know, with your kids and explain to them, hey, you know, there are people out there that are mean. Um, you know, you're you're you're fine just the way you are. And, you know, I said, I think my book is gonna be the beginning of um a few tools that parents and educators can use to help boost um self-esteem, help uh boost self-love, help people understand that God has created you just how you are, and that because you're created in His in His image, you are beautiful. Because most of I shouldn't say most, all of God's creation has beauty in it. So if you are part of that creation, you are indeed beautiful, regardless of what you look like, because God made you that way. So the coloring book for me has um has a whole bunch of mermaids, right? And I have a little, I'm I'm part Caribbean, so we have this thing with mermaids. Um I made I made it so that the mermaids were of different races, different ethnicities, and different body types. And with that, I also added um affirmations with each mermaid. So we got we got our our white mermaid, we have our Nordic mermaid, we have our African mermaid, we have our Asian mermaid, Indian mermaid, um, we have our Indonesian, you name it, we have, you know, we have it all. And I've made sure that the the the ladies on you know that are represented are skinny, thick, curvy, your big girl. I mean, we have it. And I made sure that each of them came with really positive affirmations so that children can understand that no matter what size or shape or color you are, that you are indeed important, you matter, you're seen, you're beautiful. And I make sure that all those affirmations are in each page.

SPEAKER_04

That's special. It really is. I and I'm thinking about as you're speaking, I'm like, okay, who can I give these books to? And like I and I think any I hate to say this, but I'm kind of biased in my opinion. Any mom here, I think every mom, I think I said she should say parent, but you know, will listen to you and be like, okay, how many should I buy? Who can I buy these for? I need to buy 600 of them. I know there's a child out there in everyone's life that can use this. Honestly, there's some adults that can use it in a in the best possible way.

SPEAKER_01

It's color therapy, it's emotional therapy, it's it's it's it's a way for you to sit down and you know love love yourself again.

SPEAKER_02

And it's a safe space, right? Right. And I don't even think that this is something that you have to wait until a child is is getting bullied, you know, for them to enjoy this book and and start consuming those affirmations, you know, because as you were talking, I was like, I want one for my daughter. My little one, I mean she's not so little, she's 12. Um, she loves to tell people that she's a mermaid because she was so she was a home birth and she was born in water. Oh she tells people that she's a mermaid.

SPEAKER_01

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02

So I'm definitely gonna have to get her a book.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, absolutely. Holy cow. I that's that's that's great. That's great. Um, I think I think this book was it, it's it's like my target audience really are for the parents, caregivers, teachers, providers. And I say providers because um when when the kids are sitting in the waiting room, you know, a lot of them tend to be destructive if they don't have anything to do. So my thing is like my my colleagues, my other providers out there, like it's something that you can put out in your waiting room and allow the kids to, you know, really, you know, have at it while they're waiting. And for teachers, you can use it during classroom, you could use it in aftercare. Um, and like I said, it gives it it gives those people, the caretakers, the teachers, the parents, an opportunity to open up dialogue with the kids and really, you know, negate those negative comments and you know, attitudes and biases that people have out there and start instilling that very early. I say start coloring as soon as the child can hold a pencil or or a crayon and start going over that. In fact, let's take it a little further. There are words of affirmation there. Let them see how to spell those words. How about that? You know what I mean? Um, so it's it's it's it serves as so many things. And how about your children that live in rural areas that have, let's say, never seen a black person, never seen an Asian, right? Here you are, you have this book that you get to see all of that. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02

You may not have it. I'm sorry, and and even interact with it, even if it's not just on paper, but it's an interaction, something more than maybe just a print ad or television show, something that just seems very separate. A book, right? A book that you're interacting with and reading and holding and coloring is it always feels more personal.

SPEAKER_01

Right. I love that. Agreed. And so for the cover of the book, I have um I designed it in such a way that the cover is a mermaid and she is multiracial. And I that's an ode to my children because my children are uh multiracial, and I placed her there because she is. A combination of all those girls in that book. So that I tell people that that is for you because this girl represents all of you. So um that's how I came out with the the cover of the book. And um I said I just I want to make sure that I reach I reach you know every child that's able to just identify with some part in in that book.

SPEAKER_02

Do you have one handy that you can show?

SPEAKER_01

I can get it.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_02

If it's okay, yeah. If it's okay with you, give me two seconds.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I'd have three.

SPEAKER_04

All this all this positive affirmation is making Lisa nice.

SPEAKER_01

That's so funny. I don't know if you can see it.

SPEAKER_04

I can we can't see the words, but we can see the picture. The picture. I love it. Yeah. How beautiful. And I feel like I don't want to say I've seen her before, but I've seen. Right. But you have to I have. Like I have, I've seen her before. Like I've seen her on TV, I've seen her in the street. I've seen her in the store. I've seen her on the train. I've seen her at the parking lot in the car next to me. And I okay, I want to cry. I want probably like the ice princess of the group, but then I'm also the one that's the first one to go to cry. Um, I love that. And I feel like, and then your intention to for it to be an amalgamation of encompassing of the entire book, I like I think you hit your mark. I mean, my opinion doesn't make a difference, but as um you know, as a parent and as a grandparent and as a person who would buy this for people that she loves, I think you totally hit your mark. I'm a I love that.

SPEAKER_02

Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, definitely. I'm definitely gonna contact you off air and get some.

SPEAKER_04

So we we will we will talk. Talk about yeah, and I know we usually do this at the end, but I'm gonna do it now. Um we can do it now and at the end again if you want. Okay, how do our listeners who want to reach out and purchase a couple of dozen of these books? How would they go about doing that?

SPEAKER_01

Okay, so basically, um real easy. Um, they're available at bookstores, but like if you're you're not you're not in the vicinity of a bookstore, if your bookstore doesn't carry it, you can always get it on Amazon. If you place in the search bar, um you could either place um I would say just place Dr. Pascal Cherry and the book will pop right up.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

You know, so but I ask people this if you're gonna purchase on Amazon, if you can do me a favor just to leave a review on you know what you think of the book, because I think a lot of people who may not know what it's about or really the meaning behind the book, um, I think it's it's it helps a lot of the viewers and our buyers to see um how people have received the the the book. So if you know you you you spread the word and you go in there, just you know, kindly leave a um a review for me if you can.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, you'll just always put a link right in the show notes.

SPEAKER_04

Show notes we'll take care of that. Yeah. I was so excited about it. Usually, like we said, we usually wait till the end of the episode to do all that, but I'm like, I know we how do you know now?

SPEAKER_01

That's okay. I will send you that link, no problem.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. How did you like what made you want to be a dentist? I know it's a little bit like going back, but what made you want to be a dentist?

SPEAKER_01

Well, the the thing is, it's not like I grew up knowing that I wanted to be a dentist. Um, I grew up in a Haitian household. My parents are Haitian. Um, and the first thing, I mean, my parents are I'm first, I'm first generation. And my parents' thing was like, okay, listen, you guys gotta, you guys gotta do something. It was me and my twin sisters. They're like, we need you guys to like hit it. You know, in our country, it's very difficult to get an education, and we're here in America. Like, if you have the the mental capacity to sit and study, get your education and go as far as you can. So all three of us became doctors. We're um we're in different um we're all different. Um, I'm the dentist, I have twin sisters, one's a physician, the other one's a podiatrist. So we've all gone separate ways, but we've all gotten you know our degrees. And um, my parents feel like they have they've they've done it from head to toe.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

That's amazing.

SPEAKER_02

That's great. Yeah, we're done.

SPEAKER_01

We got from head to toe. We're good.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it's an accomplishment for sure. I mean, on you and your sisters, and I'm sure even for your parents. I mean, our three kids, if they would all be doctors, I would be like, But you know, that's a lot of pressure.

SPEAKER_01

I'm gonna tell you. Of course. Um, they put a lot of pressure on us. Um, I almost didn't become a dentist. I by by uh by nature, I'm very creative. Um, I like I like music, I like art. Um, I think in my earlier years, my thing was like, I want to be an actress, I want to be a musician. Um, and I think around my teen years, I said, no, I want to be a musician. So I spent a lot of years in music school. Um, I performed, I wrote music, I had stuff in the Library of Congress, and I was sure I was gonna do that. And my parents turned around, they were like, and how do you think you're gonna make money? And I'm like, whoa. Whoa. I'm like, how about that's like my heart? They're like, okay, does that pay the bills? And I'm like, they're like, You want you want kids, you want a family? I said, sure. They were like, well, how are you gonna feed them? You know, there are a lot of starving artists out there, and you know, and very talented. And you would think because they're so talented that they would be, you know, they would, they, they would have the financial means to, you know, carry a family and you know, responsibilities. And sometimes they're they they don't. And they're like, how do you ensure that you're able to take care of your family? They're like education, education, education, right? In the right fields. And they're like, everybody needs health care. Everybody needs um uh health insurance, everybody needs that. So make sure you stick there because you know that that is an industry that's not going anywhere. I was like, Well, don't people need music? Yeah, we need music, that's therapy too. They're like, No, you can turn that on and off, but healthcare, you can't turn that on and off. It's that's a constant. Said, okay, and um, they wanted me to be an MD. And I said to them, you know what? I don't want to be in that position where I am going to the hospital in the middle of the night on call when I have my family sitting at home that needs me. So I'm like, okay, well, I'm gonna be a doctor. Okay, well, what kind of doctor am I gonna be? Because I don't want to do that. You know, I don't want to have to deal with that. And, you know, I sat down, I I I went to a seminar and uh at at my school, and a woman came to to for career night, and she came and talked about what she was doing. She's a dentist, she was a dentist, and she told me exactly what I needed to hear. She said, I knew when I was done that I was gonna have other endeavors like family. And she said family was the biggest thing. And she said she wanted to make sure that her time was her time, that she wasn't, you know, being pulled from the hospital, you know, between the hospital and her family. So she said dentistry, you know, offered her that and that she had that flexibility and time to be home, be part-time or what have you. And she she really sealed it for me. And she also talked about how she is able to be creative even in her field. I mean, you use your hands, we use our hands to color, we use our hands to uh make things. Um, and I said, you know what? I am crafty. So dentistry is a craft. I mean, you know, I've I I I have my pedo patients here where they come in and you know, they may have you know issues with their aesthetics, and here I am, I have to rebuild their teeth back. And honestly, it's almost like a makeover. So I I get to sit down and actually carve a tooth with with you know dental materials and and and make it just real pretty. The kids walk back out and they're like, Oh, look, it's fixed, or you know, I look like this and I'm I'm happy. Oh my god, thank you. And it it does something, you know what I mean? And so that part of it, I feel like I was able to use a little bit of my creativity, you know, it wasn't completely lost, you know, just transformed.

SPEAKER_04

And also in another way, you're helping with the child's self-esteem and their perception of themselves. Yes, okay, yes, I'm real touched. Okay, it comes to children. My heart bleeds. So I anything that helps our kit children.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, listen, you're entitled.

SPEAKER_04

She's gonna make fun of me. She's gonna make fun of me once we get done with this. She was like, look at you being all emotional and sappy. I'm like, she because she doesn't get emotional. I don't know, no, no, unless enough if I do, it's for a really good reason. And the little people are definitely for a really good reason.

SPEAKER_01

Listen, your heart's in the right place. Because let me tell you, our society, people have to understand it starts with our kids. If you don't invest, if you don't give them the proper tools to deal with things really early, we have we will have a society filled with types of people that we really don't want to have.

SPEAKER_04

Um, I I think we have uh unfortunately a generation, a part of a generation rather, of children not being respected and children not being listened to, and children not just looked at as just there. And as they grew up to become adults, they treat everyone else as they don't matter. Because when they were children, they were treated as as if they didn't matter. Right. I always told my daughter, like when she was a child, and luckily the my circle understood this because we it was kind of understood. My daughter was not a friendly child, she's not a friendly person, like outwardly friendly. You know, she's a good person, but she's like, mm-hmm. And everyone understood you don't have to you don't have to hug anybody, you don't have to hug friends, you don't have to hug family members, you don't have to touch anyone you don't want to touch in you. And we teach my she teaches her children the same way, and I completely co-signed that because having that sense of who you are is important to me for her, and I think I did a pretty good job with that because she's still having Antoine don't touch me, even with me. I'm like, I'm taking a hug, damn it. Um I'm getting like unfortunately, last month my nephew was murdered, and I'm like, you're giving me a hug. She's like, okay, and like she understood I needed the hug. She understood, but she's like, she was just like, okay, here, are you done yet? Okay, I'm done. Oh my god. But you know, but um having our children understand from an early age, like you said, like they matter in all aspects, their opinion matters, their wants and desires matter. It takes a it has a lot to do with the adults. We're raising our future, we're raising adults, and I don't think there's a whole half a generation that didn't get that, right? And now we look at us, we're like off we're dealing with you know the Chads and the Kevins and the Karens and the people who don't care about anyone else but themselves, and out of and they don't even care about themselves because they really cared about themselves, they wouldn't react in this way. But that's a different story, that's a different episode. But to your point, it starts off young.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Well, you know, we don't have to leave it to decide. We could talk about it because okay.

SPEAKER_04

I told you about tangents. We can go on and on and on, but you know what?

SPEAKER_01

It still relates to the book, though. Um, I'll tell you, I'll have a story for you. Um, so uh when I was practicing, this was probably oh, maybe a good eight, 10 years ago while I was practicing in Florida, I had a patient that came in, a little boy. Um, he came in as an emergency and he was in pain, but he didn't show it. He came with his mom. You know, they took him to to the to the um treatment room, and I came in there and I, you know, I try to engage with the kids when they come, you know, want to find out like, hey, how are you? How's your day? Did you go to school? How are you feeling? Hey, what's going on? You know, I brought you in here today. Like, you know, are you in pain? So this little boy was really interesting. He came in and I was like, Hey, how are you? And he looked at me, straight face, no answer. Mom's sitting over in the corner, and I said, Sweetie, you're okay? Straight face, didn't answer. I'm like, Well, what bought you here? He didn't speak either. I was just like, Okay, all right, this is gonna be like pulling teeth, right? I intend it, right? Seriously, and he and he still he just didn't respond. And then I looked him in the eyes. I was like, hey, you okay? And then he goes, You're ugly. And I was like, What did you just say? He says, and he repeated it, and I said, he said, You're ugly, and I said, Holy cow. I said, No, this kid didn't just look at me when I've been asking him how he's doing that, like you're ugly. And at that moment, I turned around and I looked at his mom, and I'm looking to see if she's gonna correct him, right? Right, she stood there, she didn't say a thing, she didn't say a word. And I said, Wow. I turned around, my assistant said Melissa. Melissa goes, What did you just say? And I said, I went like this. Hold up. I said, Listen, if you want to be treated here, don't you ever come back in this in this clinic and talk to me or anyone else like that? Do you hear me? Straight face, he didn't say a word. I said, Do we understand each other? Because if you keep this up, I'm gonna let you walk out looking like Daffy Duck.

SPEAKER_04

I love that.

SPEAKER_01

Go quiet. Not saying a word. He didn't say a word. When I told him and I looked him in the eye and told him that, he goes, Scripted him, he went home, and I said, When you come back here, you're gonna be respectful. Understood. He goes, So he comes back the next time, right? Um, I said, Good morning. He says, Good morning. I said, Are you ready to did you eat anything? He said, He had breakfast. All right. I said, Okay, we're gonna take care of this tooth for you. And my assistant looked at me like, Whoa. I said, You know what the problem is? There's so there's a lot going on here. If you want to sit down and dissect this, I'm gonna tell you. Because I have a whole bunch of things I would own my head.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, me too. I think mom, people are really in tune, you know, um, would would would be able to pull a ton of stuff from that. So, first thing I said, this kid lacked boundaries. Why? Because there were boundaries that were lacked in the home. He may have had his dad or mom's boyfriend or whatever you want to call it, talk to her that way. And no one corrected that. So he might be seeing that and think it's okay to talk to women that way. So he's like, this is normal in my household. So I could talk to her that way. So boundary, limits, place. And I said, You cannot address me that way, right? Understand, this is a little boy that's gonna grow up to be a man. Okay. Here we have a man, just take this a little further. Here we have a man who has a wife or girlfriend who is mistreating her, talking, talking ill, ill, ill feelings towards her, and speaking in that manner and not knowing how to address her properly. Here we have someone who's abusing her or other people. Here we have someone bullying someone else in school, telling you're fat, you're ugly, you're this, and you're telling the other kids this. Again, what is that doing to our children? What is that doing to their psyche? You have this one child that you haven't disciplined, right? Or set boundaries with him, and now he is boundless. He's out there causing havoc, mental havoc, maybe physical havoc to some other people. And so people don't realize that, you know, it starts very early. It depends on what they see, it depends on how things are reacted to, it depends how it's corrected. And if things are missing, you know, and those limits and boundaries and corrections not placed, you're gonna have children that are that are reckless out there that become reckless adults. Yeah, you know, and like I said, I'll I'll take it back to the book. I mean, what what about that girl that was sitting there that's a little curvy, and you just told her she was ugly? Well, I rebuke that in the name of Jesus. Here's the book, and color yourself color yourself any old color, any old color, any old way, and you're beautiful, right? Regardless of what anybody says. And and I don't want anyone to take that away from any of our kids. So, like I said, the book is not just me as a parent. It's me hearing kids talk about things that happened to them, experiencing things that happened in the office, you know, with the kids that come in, you know. Um I I just feel like I was in a blessed situation. God had blessed me with two kids to be able to raise them into, you know, almost adults, um, to be able to help raise other children, even though they weren't mine. They come into the practice. They here they see, you know, a woman as a professional, and that they know how to how to how to interact in you know, in that setting and also outside. And, you know, even as a practitioner, like I said, it's my job is not just to take care of your teeth, it's to teach you too how to address me, how to address people on the outside, how to address other children, how to address your parents. You know, how do you address caregivers? What's respectful? What's acceptable? What's not acceptable?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, and I think that that's a really important lesson that people forget is that kids are sponges, you know? They they do what they see, but because they're kids, they have the opportunity and the ability to shift much easier, right, than many adults. So you put up a boundary for how you expect to be treated and what will and will not be tolerated in your presence, in your space. And while the kid was a little bit resistant, which is normal, right? Because the kids always push boundaries regardless, but it seemed like he figured it out real quick because by the next time he knew what was expected. By the time he left the first time, I think he was. But you know, like it's just it's it could be so easy for us to fix it before it doesn't.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah. And because it shows that kids really want that boundary, that discipline, to learn the right, they want it, they need it. Right. Um because he could tell the way he re he reacted so quickly. And by the time he left that office that first time, he he's so sad because they want it.

unknown

Right.

SPEAKER_04

My kids, I I think it's a human desire honestly, to do right, to be good, right? And I think get acceptance in the right way. It's all it was what we want.

SPEAKER_02

Right, right. Right. And I think that that's the second part of it, is that maybe because you were willing to put in the time to address him and correct him and tell you exactly what you expect from him, maybe that's not something he's used to either. Because he's used to being a passive um participant and right in his life, you know, going on. But it but it might be so because just the fact that you're speaking to him at first and he doesn't even answer you.

SPEAKER_01

He didn't answer.

SPEAKER_02

It to me. That's like probably because no one ever talks to him, you know, or or no one really takes the time to ask him questions. Maybe he's just used to being told go do this or go do that, or you know, and he just does or does not. And then the fact that makes it actually broke my heart.

SPEAKER_04

The fact that she didn't respond to anything. It's because she doesn't she couldn't.

SPEAKER_02

I would have been mortified. I mean, personally as a parent, I would have been mortified. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

As a parent, yeah, because we're not in that pos we we're assuming there's other things going on in the household that would lead to her not feeling that she can respond. Right. Right. And that breaks my heart.

SPEAKER_02

Right. And that might be what he was seeing, also, is that maybe you don't speak up because you'll get slapped, or you'll get you'll you, you know, you'll get beat or something.

SPEAKER_01

I don't know. You know. So um, I can't wait though.

SPEAKER_04

I'm already thinking, I'm like, oh, what is what other books she's gonna come out next with this now? Because I'm like, okay, she's there's so many she can take this like mermaids and unicorns and leprechauns, and I'm just I don't know.

SPEAKER_00

I just oh boy.

SPEAKER_04

Well, I'm putting you to work. I'm so sorry. Okay, this is what you can do. It's a-okay, like the whole thing.

SPEAKER_01

I've already been, you know, I've been commissioned by uh uh nephews. They're like, well, oh, they call me Titi. Uh they're like, Titi, so um, what about the boys? Like, what do we what do you have? I was like, sweetheart, it's coming. Give Titi a few minutes. Let me calm down from all this stuff that's happening right now, and then your stuff will be out there. We got something. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_04

How do you feel about uh what the fact that your nephews like with something about the boys? How do you feel about ginger? What's your take on ginger specific cartoons? Because in set in essence, they're you know what are your takes on what's your take on that? Like, do you plan on keeping it like ginger separate? Do you want to conglomerate? I mean, they're like, I don't know. They're boy mermaids and there's boy unicorns, and then you know, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01

Well, you know what? I think this this is a pretty big question.

SPEAKER_04

Um it doesn't have to be answered.

SPEAKER_01

It's it's it's big because we're in a in a time period in history where a lot of things are shifting. Um, but I will tell you one thing that hasn't shifted, and it's God. You know, he is and was and will always be the same. Um, the things that he's created will and was and you know will always be the same. Um I I I don't want to offend anyone. I don't, you know, everybody has a right to live their own life and such. I I want to be in a position where I don't confuse anyone and and allow people to be who they are without them feeling um that there's some type of backlash for who they are. And again, like like the book that came out, I I want all, you know, any child that looks like any of those those mermaids to feel like, hey, it's okay to be this, it's okay to be curvy, it's okay to be, you know, dark or light or whatever. So um in terms of the books and how I feel, I kind of for for the moment I'm going to keep it the way it is in terms of gender and such. Um again, I do want to appeal to everyone, but for the moment, for now, I'm going to keep it the way it is, just so that um it doesn't cause any confusion on my part in terms of um where I'm coming from and in terms of my beliefs and such.

SPEAKER_04

You don't want to miss your message, you don't want the message to get missed. I find because of what's going on, it's hard to it's hard to be all inclusive and still not offend someone. I think it's a it's it's hard to find line. It's a very fine line because you want to be inclusive and at the same time, like you're probably gonna you're gonna offend someone. And it's like right, what do I do? Do you just not do anything? No, that's not the answer. Um it's so yeah, I I can see how it's just it's hard. What do where do we go? Where's where is the line? And can I even see the line? Is there a line? Is that an S? Like you don't you don't know what's going on anymore? Like, right, right. You're like, wait, am I seeing doubles? Because I'm just looking for a line and my eyes are crossing now. But no, it's very difficult when you're out in the public and you want you have a message that hits everyone, it's a message that affects everyone. How do you market it? How do you send it out? How do you publish it? So it is inclusive. So right. I mean, I think at unfortunately at this point in this 2026, someone's gonna be offended by something.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, it's gonna be hard to not offend anyone. Just I just my whole thing is just I will tell everybody this that I love everyone, no matter um who you are, what you are, whatever your gender is. You know, God still made you. Um, I want you to be in a healthy place, whoever you are. Um, I want you to gravitate to whichever book you gravitate towards. You know what I mean? Um, and whatever makes you feel good, gravitate towards that in terms of you know, just mental health. Um, I I haven't excluded anybody. Um, if like I said, I know that you know some people you know might get offended. Um, and I am I'm sorry, and I'm not able to, you know, to make everyone happy. And I tell people that, you know, you're not everything. You can't be everything to everyone. Um, but I am trying to do better in terms of making sure that people self-love themselves, um, people grow in uh a healthy mental uh environment. And that's what I can offer at this at this time.

SPEAKER_04

And I think that's huge. That's that in itself is huge. I I think I said earlier, just that self that healthy self-love radiates on so many different levels. Um it affects you loving yourself, affects everybody else. Um it's because how you treat people and how people treat you, and how you allow yourself to be treated, how you treat your children, how how you teach your children. So that is a strong core foundation that I think we as humans have forgotten.

SPEAKER_01

We we need we need to do better in that department. We really do. So well, my my book is the a tool in trying to step up.

SPEAKER_04

Well, I love tools, tools, and I think for you also people need to realize tools are resources, not the end all and be all. So you still like use what go, what what it grab what you gravitate to, what makes you feel good, use these tools as a resource to stepping stones. Like, I love my red hair mermaid. I don't know, I can't think of something. Um, and that's just a stepping stone to like, okay, I'm gonna wear colors that make my red hair stand out, or and then that's gonna take it to the next level. And like, oh, I love my freckles, or whatever you because I find that I don't know why people don't love freckles. I love freckles. Um I think they're cute. I think they're adorable. They're cute. Older brother has freckles. Do you meet Frederick? The way that he has freckles, like they used to he used to get made fun of. And I was like, I love your freckles when he grew up together, though. But we make fun now because he's a little bit lighter, and people like we joke. He's like, I might be light skinned, but I got this onyx soul. Don't mess with me.

SPEAKER_01

So funny.

SPEAKER_04

I'm like, wow. I was like, you and do two freckles. But you know, and I had my problem, my forehead, and I was like, I have a five head, it's okay. I love it. Losh forehead is a sign of beauty, and there you go.

SPEAKER_01

Like own it, and I'm okay.

SPEAKER_04

And I'm supposed to apparently like if you're equally balanced, that's like a sign of beauty. Like, if everything is like anywho, how about the beauty? I every shape and things I am so we all have something that we just don't like about ourselves, and then we love that one thing, and it just grows and becomes beautiful, and it just radiates to every aspect of our lives and our community's life, right?

SPEAKER_02

Right, and also the community anymore. That's another thing. There's no community. We have well, that's true, but we also have to remember that not every person is for every person, and that's okay. Somebody out there is going to love me, and somebody else is gonna despise me, but it's and they're both right because depending on what you get, and they may not be wrong, it's it's that's the that's and that's fine, but at the end of the day, the most important person that has to like me is me, and I think that that's gonna be like the the the hugest benefit of your book is that once it starts with ourselves that we're better equipped to handle the people who will have something negative to say because there's always gonna be somebody who says something negative. Always, always doesn't it doesn't right, it's not gonna matter the subject, the person, right, the time, the year.

SPEAKER_04

It's always so much, unfortunately. Mankind is probably the most detrimental species on this earth. But there's there are some kids that are bullied and become the bullies. So can you imagine how many kids are not that may avoid becoming the bully because they learn to love themselves? And it's just a beautiful thing. You just think about the huge impact that it has.

SPEAKER_01

I agree, I agree. I mean, it's something that we need, we need so desperately, you know. Um I I am an advocate of you know, children, and it's funny to think that years ago when I was in dental school, that I just I did not like pediatric dentistry. I used to play dodgeball with that rotation. And when I went to residency, same thing, I played dodgeball with it too. And um, and the funny thing with that, although I'm going off on a little tangent, um, when I was in residency, we had an attendant uh an attendant that would come in and do pediatrics like once a week. And I remember him, and he would always single me out. He says, You over there. Why do you always hide from me when I come? I said, Doc, listen, I'm not big on kids. I mean, I don't, I've never babysat, I've never changed a diaper. I mean, I don't, I don't relate to them, you know. I don't have nieces, nephews at that time. I didn't. Um, I just I don't know. I just I can't relate with them. He pulled me aside. He's like, because you were never taught to. You were never taught. He said, let me tell you something. He says, you were a kid once, right? He's like, yeah. He's like, I want you to dig deep down into your childhood and possibly pick up a few things that you remember, things that made you happy, things that you'd like to talk about, things that, you know, um made you sad. He was like, I want you to dig deep and pull those things out. He says, because those are the very things that are gonna teach you how to relate to other children. And he was like, You're gonna sit with me and I'm gonna show you. The dentistry part is mechanical. I could show you how to do this, but I want you to be able to touch your patients in terms of here, their their mind, touch their mind, touch their soul. He's like, once you do that, you have a patient for life. They won't be scared of the dentist, number one, because they like you. Two, you're able to connect with them. And he says, You you wouldn't you have no idea what impact you can have on that child's life. So he says, You're gonna stick with me and I'm gonna grab you every week we come and we're gonna do a few things together. And he invested in me. And um, I spent I'd spent a year with him, and sure enough, I left that program and all I wanted to do was kids.

SPEAKER_02

Wow.

SPEAKER_01

And to think I was that person that played dodgeball with that rotation, I almost didn't do it.

SPEAKER_03

I'm so glad you did.

SPEAKER_01

But it's funny, it's like if someone saw me today that knew me like back when I was in high school, number one, they'd be like, wait, she's not a musician. What? Yeah, two, she's doing kids. Like, oh, that's different. Three, she's writing a book for kids. Oh, that's really wild.

SPEAKER_03

That's cool.

SPEAKER_01

So I have evolved in so many ways. I've learned a lot about people, children, myself, um, in this whole journey. And I'm still learning, you know, this this will never cease. Um, learning is a lifelong thing. Uh, but in terms of you know, the field that I've entered, um, the people that I'm able to touch and help, um, it's something that I've I I never even saw myself, you know, being able to do at one point in life. So whatever I can do, I feel like this is the time in life to you know start to do it. We're only here on earth for you know this much time, really, you know, a lifetime is really not a lot, right? It's really short. And if you can help with it another generation, raise another generation, offer tools to help, you know, another generation, um, by all means, do what you can. And you know, I'm here to you know to try to help do that.

SPEAKER_04

So okay, I'm gonna cry again. Oh, I didn't ask my um silly question. I completely forgot about that. I forgot about that. Tell me. Okay, okay, let me pull it up because okay. If you wanted to get abducted by aliens, how would you convince them to take you to their planet?

SPEAKER_01

Oh, I could tell you this. The first thing is I cannot, I cannot get on a spaceship. I don't, I cannot. I already know. I already know. Let me tell you, I I don't know if uh either of you guys gone to Disney. I have. I haven't. You haven't? Okay. Well, there's this there's this ride. I can't remember the name because it happened a good many years ago, where they take you to space, right? What is it? Space Mountain. It could it could be Space Mountain.

unknown

I don't know.

SPEAKER_02

Wait, it's Space Mountain is a roller coaster.

SPEAKER_01

Oh no, then that's not it. That's not Space Mountain. Oh, I can't remember the name of the ride. But I'll tell you, the ride is you're sitting in a capsule, and they make you feel like you're in space, like that you're you're being propelled, you know, into space, and you feel the different pressures and stuff on your body. And I said to myself, holy cow, I actually got really dizzy and got nauseous.

SPEAKER_00

Oh no.

SPEAKER_01

I got off that ride and I vomited. And I said, if that's what it feels like, like for astronauts that get, you know, that that that go out to space, if that's what it's gonna feel like, that draw, like I felt like something was drawing out of my body to get out there. And I said, you know what? No can do.

SPEAKER_04

Okay, so you would not want to be abducted. Okay, no, I guess I'm gonna die right here.

SPEAKER_01

Oh no, absolutely not.

SPEAKER_04

But in my head, they have such advanced technology that it'll be like nothing.

SPEAKER_01

It'd be like it's like teleporting.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, teleporting.

SPEAKER_01

Teleporting would be the best way to go. Okay, so what would you convey to teleport you to their planet? Oh my, that's a hard one. I'm like, what can I give you? Maybe they don't eat like what we eat. I can't offer you food. I don't know. I'll fix your teeth. They may not have teeth. I'm like, oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_04

I'm like, what do you like? We'll figure it out. Like, what is it that you want? I can hook you up with something, you know, we can network it. Yes, just tell me, we'll work it out. Okay, you would I love you.

SPEAKER_01

How about you, Lisa? What would you do?

SPEAKER_02

I'd be like, look around, please take me with you. Please.

SPEAKER_04

Just I think that would be my thing.

SPEAKER_02

Like, please just I'm Gen X, I know how to sit quiet, I know how to entertain myself. I won't be any trouble, please.

SPEAKER_04

Whatever you need. I will be your alien space. It's fine, it's fine. I clean, I that whatever you need for me to do, just take me. Yeah. Or reverse psychic. Just like, I don't want to go. Just dump your feet. And they're like, well, fine, we're taking you. I'm like, if you insist. Maybe that I think that would be my trait. I like it. I like it. Treat them like you treat them in your life.

SPEAKER_03

Like, no, no, no. Yes, yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_04

Oh, please don't touch that. Oh, there's a joke online um on Facebook. And I think the woman's husband was aggravating her or something, getting on her nerves. So she poured water in front of the dishwasher, and he sat there all day trying to fix the dishwasher because it was leaking. And she's like, Oh, the best day of my life. He didn't bother me at all the whole day. Oh my goodness. No, she didn't. And it was a little Joe, and it was a bit of a like, yeah. I kissed, yeah, yeah. That makes sense to me.

SPEAKER_01

So funny. Wow. Wow. It would never work.

SPEAKER_02

Well, he would spend a good part of the day, and then he'd be like, All right, you're gonna have to call the repair. I tried.

SPEAKER_03

That's the sense of so clean.

SPEAKER_04

Oh boy. So you are crafty. You're musical. I think I read that you played the saxophone. I did. I played the saxophone. Lisa and I both play saxophone, one alto. Um, which one did you play? Both.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_02

I did it in junior high school.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_02

I did it for like one year when I got to Morrow. But I was only in Murrow for 10, 11, and 12. My junior high school went up to ninth.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, got it, got it.

SPEAKER_02

So I did it a little bit in a concert orchestra at Murrow? At Edward R.

SPEAKER_01

Murrow?

SPEAKER_02

Okay. So for like one one um cycle, and then I was like, yeah, I don't want to do this anymore.

SPEAKER_04

You didn't do Mr. Martin? Mr. Mr. No, not Mr. Martin.

SPEAKER_02

You know, it's funny because that's what I was thinking, and I was like, why is Mr. Martin coming to my brain?

SPEAKER_04

Who is Mr. Martin?

SPEAKER_01

I don't know. But I'll tell you, for Edward R. Murrow, that musical director was Mr. Barr, Philip Barr.

SPEAKER_02

I don't remember. I don't remember.

SPEAKER_01

I was only there it for two years because then I moved.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I I I can edit it out if you don't want the years to be. I was there, I graduated in 97.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, okay. I'm trying to think. When did I graduate high school? Or should I say when did I leave? Okay, because you're after me. You're after me.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, you're after me.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, so I was there 94, 9, well, 94 to 95, 96, 95 to 96, and 96 to 97.

SPEAKER_01

Gotcha. Okay. I I don't know if the I don't know if that that that uh the band director was still there at that point because he was already older.

SPEAKER_02

But um remember his name.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, it was it was Mr. Barr. It was Mr. Barr. I remember, listen, I adamantly wanted to become a musician, a jazz musician, actually, at that. You know, yeah. So I I was I was all over the place. When I was in college, I took a lot of um uh music courses as electives. Um I like my side hustle back then was playing with bands, local bands in New Jersey. Yeah, and I got paid. I was just like, wow, they want to pay me? Like, ooh, okay. You know, for a college kid that doesn't have a job, like, yeah, it's welcome. Yeah, yeah, of course. Yeah, it was fun. I got to meet some famous people, I got to play with some famous people and learn from them. Um, I mean, I had The time of my life, um, but it came to that point where it's like, wow, can you actually make good money enough to support? Not like good money for for a college student, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So um, but it was fun. Do you still play? Actually, but the hull the hustle and bustle of um, you know, dental school and life and being a mom and provider and all that stuff, I haven't really gone back to it.

SPEAKER_03

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

You know, I'm still an avid music listener. Um, I you get my I get jazz, RB, classical, because I also played piano as well. Um, so just just all different genres of music, you know, I still I still listen to. And, you know, honestly, the time that I was really crafty with music, it's really just transformed into other things. You know, different seasons in life, you know, you go through um um periods where you know you're doing one thing and then another season you're you know you're doing something else. So this season right now, I think I'm just towards the tail end of you know raising my children, and it's it's about you know giving in this sense, you know, like I am with the book. So but that doesn't mean that that's it, and I won't go back to it, it's just the matter of the season. Right.

SPEAKER_04

I love that, and that's a and it's another reason I think music and the arts are important in the school system, and yeah, and I just they don't have that anymore, and and it's that it makes me sad. Like I started playing in third grade through high school through 12th, and it's just I looking back, it shaped different access of my life that I'm doing today, and never would have thought it. It's just a little the little things here. I'm like, oh, I learned that from oh okay, that's interesting. And you just don't think that you can connect.

SPEAKER_03

Um I don't know, but you carry it with you, yeah.

SPEAKER_04

You just you carry it with you, you don't even realize it. It's really important, especially for the children who have one, they don't have anywhere to go, they don't have an outlet, or they have a surpr, or they have an unknown, untapped talent they didn't even know they had. Another way to make them feel special and validated and in their self-worth. And the arts are big contributing factor in that. I couldn't think of the words, my brain shut down for half a second. Um aliens got me. Um give them that sense of oh, I can do this, I can draw, or I can write poetry, or I can act, or I can sing, or I can play an instrument, right? That self-confidence shows in so many different aspects.

SPEAKER_02

But negative known it's something that's tangible, right? Like the first time you pick up an instrument and it's it sounds like cats in pain, you know, and then but then it's something that you can witness as you practice, as you proceed. Now I can play a song, like now. I can play simple notes, now I can read music quickly, now I can I can pick up anything and just play it. And so I think that it gives us, you know, the royal us that confidence to see look at what we did, look at what I can do. You know, I just to kind of reaffirm our capabilities as like you know, talent, like you know, some people have born talent, and some people have the ability to learn. So I think it's nice because like first time I picked up an instrument, I couldn't do anything with it, but then it's like you learn how to play, you learn how to read, you and you feel good, like oh, I could do it, you know.

SPEAKER_01

Absolutely, it's a big confidence booster, I think. Um but I I it's funny you said that. I I completely agree with you. I always looked at myself as um not as much of uh uh talented artist at that time. Um, because I had friends that were I like I said, they were born with it. I always say it was, you know, it's it it was in for me, it was ingrained. I had to I had to practice, I had to practice and to get better. And I had I had one of my best buddies, he was just he was I always say he's a star because God just gave him that gift because he touched the piano and you know the heavens rang. And um, but I think it's a beautiful thing that um that as humans that our minds are able to to absorb things and we're able to transform them into different things, whether it's music or art or something, we we should give ourselves credit that you know God has given us the ability to learn to be able to um have an impact in certain you know parts of the arts because it's it's beauty, it's it's it's it's you know it's it's beauty for the soul. You know what I mean? So I think that's that's it's a wonderful thing.

SPEAKER_02

When you were at Murro, did did you hang out in the music hall?

SPEAKER_01

Is that I did all the time, you know. Listen, it was a little hallway, right? That that that came that was right next to the auditorium, right? And across from that was I think it was the gym, if I'm not mistaken. There were gyms on like every floor. Yeah, this was the first floor though. It was closer to an exit, uh, if I remember correctly.

SPEAKER_02

It was in like that round lobby where they would put yes right off like the circle.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, the circle, yes.

SPEAKER_02

Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_01

I have fun memories, right?

SPEAKER_02

Everyone who goes tomorrow has like their spot. So that's that was like, I bet yours was the music hall.

SPEAKER_01

That's exactly where it was.

SPEAKER_02

You pinned me. My spot was on the second floor, like right around the corner from the superintendent's hallway. And like oh, funny, yeah, yeah. That's that's where my spot was.

SPEAKER_01

Oh my goodness. Yeah, everybody had a spot over there, you know. Some were by the library, they hung out there every day. Yeah, some of the music hall, the music hall, some of that circle. It was, I mean, honestly, everybody had their section, but it was cool, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

You know, it it was the biggest from I mean, I grew up in a mixed family, I grew up in Brooklyn, you know, diversity was not a new thing. But when I got to Morrow, it was like this whole new level of diversity because not just did you have people from different walks of life, but all these different activities, so you know, the music, the acting, the journalism, this not so much sports, but like but because we had the different gyms, you could still get into different things, so and everyone just coexisted like beautifully, you know, everyone just was left to be their truest self, so no one, you know, no one nobody bothered anybody.

SPEAKER_01

I don't remember hearing fights in that school, honestly. I didn't I don't remember that, you know. Um, and I was okay that it didn't have sports. I really I really wasn't into sports, you know. They had the football stadium across the street from Midwood, right?

SPEAKER_03

Right?

SPEAKER_01

Um, so that was fine, you know. But for me, I love this school. I wish it had been able to stay. But um, my parents had moved us out of the city at that point. But um, no, I loved it. It was just New York is a great place, or at least was a great place. It can be a great place, you know, um, to grow up and to be able to be, you know, surrounded by you know a plethora of just different people, cultures, foods, you name it. Like I felt like I had it all.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Even over here in Jersey, I mean it's you know, it's not that far. And sometimes I still feel like I am so far away. You know, like you know, when I need a car battery at 3 a.m. or I'm just hungry and I'm like, oh my god what did I do with my life?

SPEAKER_01

I get it. I get it. I get it.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

It's it's it's it's different out here. It's different out here, but believe it or not, I love it out here too. Just, you know, it's nice to be able to walk and see nature just just a plush of green in the spring and the summer, you know, or snow, like not dirty snow, just like clean snow, you know, to the point like where like it's like it snowed a lot, and then you don't even need to turn on a light in your house because it's so bright.

SPEAKER_04

So, yeah, especially at night when you get this full moon. I love the full moon of the snow. Oh yeah, oh, it's so bright in here. I love that. I love full moon. Beautiful, yes, beautiful. Yeah, I do love that too. Like being outside the city, like the city, but it's not the city. Um this the clean snow, and like I would go sledding. I don't have a sled, but I wouldn't go sledding because I can, because I can, and it's not gonna be dog poop in it.

SPEAKER_02

I mean, it might be deer poop in it or turkeys or something, but you know, it's what it's so funny because like in Brooklyn we used to go sledding over the bridge over so you know how like there's all the little walk walk bridges over the highway over the BQE. So we used to just go sledding down the bridge. Oh wow, it was you know, my parents never let me do that. Oh, my father was the one who took us. Oh wow, you know, use what you got, right? Because that's right, he he didn't like to drive, so anything that we can do within walking distance was good. So Prospect Park, we would go on occasion, okay, but to just walk to the bridge that crosses the BQE, like over by Hamilton Avenue, that's where we live. So we just walked a couple of blocks, and you know, it wasn't steep, so you you went nice, and it was, you know, but that that was like our favorite thing to do when it snowed. It was just like, yeah, let's just go to the bridge, and everybody did it over there.

SPEAKER_04

Oh wow. I think you need to go back to the bridge before the winter's out.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it's not the same now.

SPEAKER_01

We need a little more snow for that, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, oh wow.

SPEAKER_01

How about you, Agnes?

SPEAKER_04

A lot of a lot of snow by you or no? Um, it's about the same because latitude-wise, we're about the same. Um, I think like three, four weeks ago, we got about 12 inches of snow, but like three, four days later it was gone. Yes. So, like, okay, it's about the same. Like, okay, we had a couple of cold days, a couple of snowy, but meh, no different than New York, New Jersey area.

SPEAKER_01

Got you. What made you move out to Wisconsin?

SPEAKER_04

Um, so my mother had had a stroke. I was very ill, I couldn't work anymore, and it was just getting too hard. And my aunt and uncle lived out here because my uncle's sister had a house. I'm like, I'll rent something. Like, so we rented this place, silent scene. Two weeks later, I was gone. I'm like, okay, I'm when I make a decision, I make a decision. It takes me a second to make the decision, but once I've decided, I've decided. That's it. Um, yeah, and that and I've been here for this summer.

SPEAKER_02

I've been there 13 years. Yeah, because I was pregnant with my youngest when you broke the news that you were ditching all of us. I don't care if it was for medical reasons, but you know, I see you more now after I moved than when I lived.

SPEAKER_00

Wow.

SPEAKER_04

Because you worked all the time. I worked, that's an that's yeah, I think it's funny. Um, because I worked, okay, I would have to say 60 to 80 hours a week every week. I didn't see my daughter. I was blessed that my mother watched my daughter. It was crazy. And I say me getting sick was the best thing that happened. I couldn't work anymore. Um it was mentally and emotionally. I went to a little depression, it was bad. But after I got out of that depression, it was really the best thing that happened to me. Because, you know, my daughter, I moved out here, I learned how to drive because I didn't drive other than New York. Because I didn't either. Okay, right. So I'm 30 something 32, 31, 30 something years old learning how to drive. I'm like, okay, fine. Um, but yeah, all the changes, some good, some bad, I think was happened for the best.

SPEAKER_01

I say everything happens for a reason. You're where you're supposed to be uh when you're supposed to be there.

SPEAKER_04

So be it. And the way like right now, I'm happy with my life, and I'm like, this is I think I don't know if I would be where I'm at as a person if I if I if those changes never happened, because I like me who I am now, so that's important. Yes, clock that C. I've already I'm learning from like my my daughter, like she just looks at me, she's like, go somewhere. I'm like, okay. I said everyone thinks I'm cool. She's like, they don't know you. I was like, oh like no, you're not wrong, but because I'm a little corny. Okay, you're not wrong on that one, but I I digress. But listen to you guys like talk about morrow, and I that's so funny. I mean I miss high school. I miss New York high schools because they they're not like no one else does high schools like New York does.

SPEAKER_01

I agree. I moved here and it's it was nothing. I mean, I I think I lost two years of my life here with the high school, but college picked that right up because college was like, woohoo! Okay, but yeah, but high school in New York is popping, it's amazing.

SPEAKER_04

Like it's popping. Whatever you want to, you have an idea, what you want to do. There's a high school to hone that desire in. And they would think I'm crazy. I'm like, I was like, I was book to pick out high school was this thick, and that's why you had to maybe take two to three buses and a train because you could go to any fucking fire boroughs you wanted, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Right.

SPEAKER_04

Um, provide you know, you could approve, you know, you got in.

SPEAKER_01

You got in. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

I just love like I still have wonderful memories of high school. I loved high school. High school was the best. Like, there was no awkward high school moments, it was just great from 9th through 12th. I got the hell out of junior high school. We were just we went to St. Junior High School. I got the hell out of there as soon as possible because that school sucked major balls. And I was like, gotta go. Bye. Sorry. I hated that. I don't know. I would I skipped that in my mind. I went from sixth grade to ninth grade. We couldn't get seventh and eighth, and it never seventh grade was was hard for me, but eighth and ninth were fine.

SPEAKER_02

So I didn't, yeah, like even though we went to the same junior high school, Agnes and I had different experiences.

SPEAKER_04

Eighth grade was fine. Eighth grade was fine, but it was just like, okay, I would just buy you my time, get the hell out of there. Because seventh grade was just so bad. I was just like, okay, bye. I left all my friends, so it's like oh matter of fact, no one of the click they all stayed in ninth grade. You all oh we were good, yeah. I'm always leaving you guys, apparently. Seriously. Follow me next time I go, just follow me. When I say Lisa, let's go, just go. We're back later. Okay, we'll buy clothes when we get there. Okay, that's fair. That's the goal. That's our next chapter, Lisa. That's honestly, that's where I'm at in my life, my chapter. Like, I want to go, I'm gonna go. So once her kids are self a little bit more self-sufficient, right? I need to be like pack it back, like we're going.

SPEAKER_01

Let's go.

SPEAKER_04

Let's go. Okay.

SPEAKER_01

Oh my.

SPEAKER_04

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

Did you guys know each other in high school or in the middle of the third grade?

SPEAKER_04

Since third grade. Since third grade.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, that's right. You did say that in the beginning. Third grade. That is a blessing that you guys are still very connected.

SPEAKER_04

I've been, I I think I'm lucky with my friends. I have Lisa since you found me. She was my person. I don't know what I would have done without Lisa in third grade. It was like first year in school.

SPEAKER_02

No, same. You were like my first real friend.

SPEAKER_04

Oh, really? I was like, Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, now we're stuck with each other. Because I used to get gifted and the garbage and trash kids, you know. Oh, god, and it wasn't their fault, it was that they're parents with the PTA parents, and so they thought there was hot shit.

SPEAKER_04

It really wasn't the kids' fault, like in hindsight, you know, because they're okay adults now.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, they're okay adults, but but like in the early years, yeah. I was always like the tiniest kid in the class, and I got picked on, and it was miserable.

SPEAKER_04

I was one of the three black kids in the whole school. That's true. Maybe four, I don't know.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, I just remember you and Sharon. I don't remember any other Chi-oka. Oh, Chioke, Arden. I was thinking female, sorry. No, I was I was thinking female, Sydney's and Peter, Sheena. Oh, Sheena. Oh, my brother.

SPEAKER_04

Oh my god, other names are popping up in my head.

SPEAKER_02

And then Peter, they were siblings, they lived around the corner from me. So Travis, he used to stalk me.

SPEAKER_04

Ooh. Oh my god. Travis.

SPEAKER_02

He was a little geeky guy. I remember I was about to blurt out his last name, and then I was like, no, don't say that. Don't do it, don't do it. Don't do it.

unknown

Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_02

But yeah, they have some videos. And Raymond, yeah, but like in the early days, like they're really yeah. The fact that we could name them all. Well, because by the time we got to like even better, yeah, yeah, because our our school was just such a neighborhood kind of like the parents knew each other, you know. It it was just like that. But it wasn't, I think, until like fifth, sixth grade when we started moving our classes around that then we got more familiar with more people because before that we were very like you kind of were in the same class with the same people every year. You just into fourth grade. That's the good thing.

SPEAKER_04

I kind of like the elementary school got you prepared for junior high school with changing classes. I mean, it was only one hallway, but they got you kind of used to the whole shifting. I was like, looking back, I was appreciative of that. Yeah, I still have nightmares at 40 something years old about like going to the wrong class. Like you would look like, where's my class at? Like, I still have those dreams. I don't know why. Oh, that's so funny. I don't know why that happens, and that's never it's never happened to me. But yeah, so your book of many. I'm I'm speaking out to the universe.

SPEAKER_01

She's she's she's bringing it out.

SPEAKER_04

Has landed and it's out there on Amazon. Please leave a review. When when you do purchase her book, leave a review.

SPEAKER_02

I'm like uh well, and there's other ways to leave reviews, right? There's story graph, there's good reading.

SPEAKER_01

Story graph there's Ingram Spark.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

Um yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_02

And I I want to give one away. So I'll we'll work it out later so that I'll buy one from you. We'll buy one so that we can give it away. But what do you think our listeners should do if they want to enter to win that book?

SPEAKER_04

Ah, we're gonna put it on you, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

No pressure, no pressure, like send us your best affirmation, or what do you think?

SPEAKER_00

I think to win the book. Oh, that's a hard one. It shouldn't be it shouldn't be, but it is.

SPEAKER_01

That I didn't get. You are important.

SPEAKER_04

I can't go to cry now. I can't. This one was gonna have me crying and having emotions. I had two. You are important and you are beautiful. Okay.

SPEAKER_01

I didn't get that.

SPEAKER_04

Well, my okay, not that it makes a difference now, and I don't know if it's superficial, but my first when I first saw you, I'm like, oh gosh, she's gorgeous.

SPEAKER_02

So even that night, that night that I met you and you were rushing because you were like, I gotta get this done. And I was like, even I was like, she's gorgeous. My goodness are so sweet, like a hot. It wasn't like that.

SPEAKER_01

It wasn't like that at all growing up at all. If anything, I was not viewed that way. At least, yeah. I I I wasn't looked upon as as beautiful. Um, we had a lot of issues um with colorism within the community and even even within family. And um I don't think that I heard that, you know, enough. Um, I didn't hear that I'm important, that I'm, you know, you're gonna do something in life. I didn't hear that enough. And I think with the affirmations, like I really feel like it's important to start that early because um had a had had I they had started that with me, I think I may be further along than where I am today. You know, and I know that those affirmations are a blessing, you know, for children because I had I had a child that um my daughter was friends with growing up. I know, I know we're all we're going past time, but I I I feel like I actually I wanna I wanna share it. I don't want to name names because once I do, they'll know who it is. So she made friends with a child that had um a little bit of disfigurement. And um and with the disfigurement, you would think that the child is very shy, didn't want people to see his disfigurement, you know, although it was something that was pretty noticeable. But that little boy loved on my daughter, and my daughter was a little afraid of him, actually, because she'd never seen someone, you know, missing certain parts. And so, but that little boy was as confident as you know, as you know what. He figured out what my daughter liked, and he made sure he honed in on that. And he became really good friends with my daughter, you know, and uh unfortunately they're they're they're they're you know, they haven't communicated in years, but I see him on Instagram, and I'm like, this kid is like it. He's like, he got a big tattoo on his back, like, hey, look. And that disfigurement is nothing because he's he's as cool as cheese, you know. Uh, you know, in his in his circle and on Instagram. And his parents, I remember, they were always like, you could do this, you could do that. Go ahead. You want to go down to the store and do that? You ride your bike, you make those friends, you do this, you do that. And they made sure they did some affirmations, like, there's nothing different with you than the rest of those kids. You're good, you're you're good looking, you're smart, you're this, you're that. And you know what? He knows it, and he's owning it. And he's like, he's like almost 20. And listen, his parents really did him a service by making sure that they taught him, hey, you're all right. Love yourself as you are, you're good, you're smart, you can do this. There's no difference with you and the other children, you know. You may be missing this, but other people are missing something else. Doesn't matter. So he's a he's a product of affirmations. Do you know what I mean? So my thing is like, wow, if you can start a child off that early, imagine what they can become, you know? So give them what they need, right?

SPEAKER_02

Right.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

So let's okay. So if you want a chance to win Dr. Pascal Cherry's book, get in touch with us and send us the affirmation that you wish you had as a child. And we'll pick randomly because we don't want to say like, oh, one is better than the other. No, it'd be completely pick randomly out of the way. Because they're all amazing. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I think that's a great idea.

SPEAKER_02

Thank you. Thank you. We love giving stuff away. Like we love you know, trying to promote and and share our platform because that's how we become better as community is to extend the hand instead of pulling the ladder up. You know, it's it's always going to come back to everyone beneficial if if we share versus gatekeep. You know, any any small thing that we can do to try to help that we are we we try, we always try.

SPEAKER_01

That's wonderful. Yeah, I think that's a great idea. Thank you. And God bless the person that gets it. Hopefully, it you know, it does the service that you know we're aiming for it to do. So I just pray on that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And then we're gonna ask you one last time to let everyone know how they can find you and get in touch with you, and if they want to get the book. Basically, how they can find you and this book as well as future endeavors.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. So on Instagram, uh, my Instagram handle is Dr. Pascal Cherry, D-R-P-A-S-C-A-L-E, C-H-E-R-Y, and that's on Instagram. Um in Instagram, you'll also find the link for the uh book on Amazon if you're looking. And of course, you know, anyone could DM me if they need, you know, they need to ask some questions or have any concerns, you know. But that's the biggest, the the quickest way to to reach me. Um, and like I said, that that um that link for Amazon is linked in my bio. So it's very easy. You'll find me. Um, there's no one other, just me. Um, but you'll find it there. And like I said, I I hope that people, if it's not for you, hopefully you can find it uh for someone that you know that is a caretaker or has nieces, nephews, whatever, um, that they can share it with that you know that would have a need for it. Um, and just have them leave a review. And that way, you know, we all take part in you know, helping the helping everyone in our village.

SPEAKER_02

Right. Thank you so much. You're welcome. Yeah, for hanging out with us. And I'm so happy that I was, you know, had the fortunate opportunity to meet you that night.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, yes. I was that was so funny how I met you. I was just like, I was racing. I'm like, oh, I gotta go get this done and I gotta go post. And yeah, but it was it was a blessing in disguise, really. Yeah, you know, and I'm appreciative.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, so am I to be. Yeah. Yes, yes, yes. Do you have any last words for us or for our listeners before we wrap up?

SPEAKER_01

Honestly, my thing is um I'm I'm I feel blessed to be in a position to to to meet people like you guys. Um, I want to thank God for all that he's done for me in terms of the walks that he's had with me, the the um the circumstances that he's put me through to to learn and to grow. And I only hope for each and every one of us to continue to grow and continue to help one another because this is what he's placed us here for. Um uh stay tuned, you know, keep uh keep on my Instagram and things will come out with time. Um, but um I just want to tell you guys I I appreciate you all and I I thank God for everything that he's done for me. And and I also thank God for the things that he's gonna do for the other people too that I touch.

SPEAKER_04

I don't think we could ever end an episode better than that.

SPEAKER_02

No, definitely not. Yeah. We thank you again, and we remind everyone to not drink and drive and drink responsibly.

SPEAKER_01

That's right.

SPEAKER_02

You can visit assassinsips.com for all the ways to get in touch with us or find more information on our guests, past episodes, present episodes, future episodes, all of that. And until next time, I'm Lisa and I'm Agnes, I'm Dr.

SPEAKER_01

Pascal Sherry.

SPEAKER_02

And we're out of here.

SPEAKER_04

See you later. Bye.

SPEAKER_02

Bye, ladies.

SPEAKER_04

Bye.