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ODE TO MOM

Published:Sunday | June 20, 2010 | 12:00 AM
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Charmine Johnson-Garwood (left) and her foster-daughter Keisha Brissette share a laugh before their champagne breakfast at the Hilton Kingston hotel on Monday. The breakfast was a part of Brissette's first-place poem in the hotel's Ode to Mom poetry competition.
Sharon Bowla-Williamson (left) of CSW Universal Spa treated Charmine Johnson-Garwood to a queen-for-the-day spa package as a part of the first prize winnings.
Sous chefs Veyona Martin (left) and Jennifer Thomas (far right) serve hot banana porridge in coconut cups to Keisha Brissette (seated at left) and Charmine Johnson-Garwood. - photos by Colin Hamilton/freelance photographer
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Sacha Walters, Staff Reporter

A mother's love can transcend any obstacle, even when that love comes from a woman who did not give birth to that child.

Keisha Brissette, 27, began experiencing that unending love at age 12 from her foster-mother, Dr Charmine Johnson-Garwood.

Fate would have it that Johnson-Garwood's experiences would lead her to Brissette. Johnson-Garwood got pregnant at 16, dropped out of school and lost that child when she was five-month pregnant. She wanted to take her experience and channel it into something positive. She visited her alma mater, Cambridge Secondary School, in St James and told them she wanted to help a girl who needed both financial and emotional support to complete school.

"Keisha was my third foster-child," Johnson-Garwood said. All three girls went on to graduate from college and she currently fosters a two-year-old.

Johnson-Garwood is not short on love, she has two biological sons, Djordon Garwood and David Garwood Jr. She believes children should be reassured that they will make mistakes but that these are essential to their growth. She reassures them that no matter the obstacles she will be there.

"I am expecting my children will hold it (her example) up. If they fall, I will be there," she said

But the love and pride which emanates from Johnson-Garwood are not one-sided.

double PhD

Brissette also glows with pride for her "mother", who is currently pursuing a double PhD in clinical and industrial/organisational psychology at Alliant International University. She also lectures at a number of local universities and colleges in counselling, business, research and psychology.

Brissette, an English language and literature teacher with a special love for remedial reading, said her foster-mother's drive motivates her.

When she penned the winning poem, 'To Such a Woman' in the recent Hilton Kingston Jamaica's 'Ode To Mom' poetry competition, Brissette said this was one of many poems she had written for her foster-mother over the years. She actually began writing about her.

"I used to write down everything she said," Brissette said.

As the first-prize winner, her mother received a weekend for two at the Hilton in the Prime Minister Suite from June 12-14, a Champagne breakfast with server and personal chef, a queen-for-the-day spa package, courtesy of CSW Universal Spa, and a gift basket from J. Wray and Nephew Limited.

The playful banter between the two show their ease and mutual respect. Brissette squeezed her foster-mother's hand when she was recalling painful memories. The two are friends on each other's Facebook pages, but like any other mother she will reprimand her when the need arises.

"Let me say she had nothing to do with what I decided to wear today," Brissette said laughing.

Johnson-Garwood said as a matter of clarity for strangers, they use the title 'foster-mother', but when the doors are closed the prefixes fall and she simply becomes 'Mom'.

Their champagne breakfast included fresh fruit with yoghurt, banana porridge served in a coconut cup, red snapper with pickled vegetable and sweet chilli sauce on steamed bammies and croissant donut covered with peanut chocolate ganache.