lessons

(PT3)Police, Through The Eyes Of A Child👮🏻‍♂️👧🏾💭…..

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment
Picking up from my last paragraph…


I’ll never forget hearing my mother pleading with them to let us go, let us leave the area, so we wouldn’t have to witness any violence. I always Thank God that my mother was a very calm and logical woman, because she properly addressed the police in a non-aggressive manner. She always spoke eloquently in any situation. I’ll never forget hearing her pleading with the police to please let us go! She didn’t want us to have to see any violence but her pleas fell on deaf ears. I did not understand why we were not allowed to leave the area and get away from the scene. We were not doing anything wrong.

The violence seemed to last forever, I forgot all about my house, my toys, the safe feeling that I had moments before they came. There were so many police, and none of them were listening, or helping us. We stood there frozen in time, that’s how it felt.
My mother was asking them to allow us to go away from the situation for a reason, she was trying to protect us.
Unfortunately, she had no control over the situation and the best she could do to protect us, was NOT ARGUING. Now that I’m older, I understand that, whole heartedly. Had she argued with the police, they may have tried to put their hands on HER, or arrest her too. We ended up leaving in a taxi and going to my Aunt’s place, and I never went back  for a long time. I did however see my house on the news at my Auntie’s place, but that’s another story.

I was meaning to complete this blog for weeks, but I had so many other thoughts to share. In wake of what’s been going on in the world regarding police, it’s been overwhelming taking it all in. I chose to share my most important encounter with police that unfortunately, happens to be negative. Regardless, I still respect the law and the police. I was taught by my intelligent mother, (RIP) how to speak to the police and she never encouraged us to act up. I understand that CORRUPTION is the problem, police who do not follow their oath to “Serve and Protect”. I do not blame the police for coming to arrest him, or even raiding our house. I do however, think that children should be removed from these type of situations. If not by the police, by CPS or in Toronto we call it “Children’s Aid”.
I know the reason why we were forced to stay there and watch, an example was being set, it was done on purpose.

As I said in a previous blog, I never wanted to distrust the police. After this event, I was left with a negative impression, I viewed them as violent.

I will continue in another blog.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

Love and Respect,


~Dawn Lovely
Follow me @:https://twitter.com/iamdawnlovely, https://t.co/wfctLWHJ1W

Don’t Get Too Comfortable✋🏼💯…..

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment
So, the rules have let up and everyone is finally outside taking in the hot weather. Toronto summers don’t last long, so soaking up the sun while it’s out, is a must. The thirty degree plus weather has been consistent which is pretty surprising, and folks are taking advantage.
The streets look practically back to normal, no longer deserted at two in the afternoon.

I love the summertime scenery in this part of mid-town and I never thought I’d experience seeing it in this state. As I walked home at night from running my errands, there was a lot going on outside. It was very festive and beautiful, with all of the restaurants lit up, and tables set up outside. It’s been a while since many shops or restaurants were open, and past seven o’clock for that matter. The majority of businesses are open, but now “they” are saying there’s a possibility of another shutdown…Again.

You may live in an area that may currently be shutdown already. The news is up and down everyday, it’s a rollercoaster of information we’re all riding on. So, I hope for the best, but expect the worst.
Up until now, there wasn’t a mandatory rule for wearing a face covering to enter the grocery store, now there is. I get it, and I’m okay with it, but I do have questions. I find it very odd that there are so many rules and regulation signs posted everywhere, in the tightest of spaces. You have to practically walk on the road with the cars to avoid walking into a dinnertable set up on the sidewalk. While folks eat their dinner, they are not wearing masks and neither are the folks waiting to eat. Of course. I was worried that I may trip up a waiter with my pullcart, so I went around a tree on a sliver of sidewalk. Navigating the streets is becoming more uncomfortable than when this pandemic first hit.
With all of the social unrest, extreme heat, simply trying to breathe with or without a mask, managing money, the next to  impossible social distancing rules, you have to keep your peace of mind in tact.

Am I fully prepared? No, and I’m not feeling as comfortable but I’m mentally preparing, and my intuition and common sense hasn’t let me down yet.

I will continue in my next blog, have a productive day.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

Love and Respect,
~Dawn Lovely

Follow me @:https://twitter.com/iamdawnlovely, https://t.co/wfctLWHJ1W

I Wonder About The Elderly (As We Keep Our Distance)👴🏼😷💭…..

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment
Recently I had an encounter with a stranger in a fruit market that left an impression on me. An older gentleman approached me at the counter as I was paying for my items. It totally threw me off that he came up to the counter, since we are supposed to be “social distancing”. He was ranting, repeating, “Señora!! I am poor, I need help, no money! I am poor! I am poor!!! Please Señora!!!”
He caught me off guard, I turned my head to look at him. He was sweating and sounded out of breath. He looked as though he had ran for miles before coming in the store. I was annoyed and slightly agitated, because he was interrupting my transaction. I looked directly at the cashier expecting them to tell the man to leave, because he was very disruptive, but nope. His hyper, frantic loud energy really killed my peaceful vibe, and although I was annoyed, I cared to hear what he was trying to tell me. He had a hand full of change with a few loonies, and perched on the counter a carton of eggs. I guess he didn’t have enough to pay for the eggs, and I felt bad for him. Regardless of how annoying and rude I thought he was, I could see he was desperate, or maybe he had some sort of mental issue. You never know in the city, and I try not to judge a book by it’s cover.
As I completed my transaction, I looked in my wallet to see how much I was able to spare, as I spoke him. I dropped a loonie in his hand and he began to examine it. I realized that it didn’t have a graphics or writing on it and maybe he was wondering if it was real. He was quickly counting up his money, and he did not say Thank you. I usually would have commented on the lack of manners, but I was fixated on his actions. I felt compassion for him, he was simply trying to buy some eggs. The grocery prices are going up since this pandemic hit, and many can not afford the basics. The privately owned business are even more expensive than a franchise store, but the more intimidating to enter.
As I walked home I thought about how the elderly are adapting, considering how quickly everything is changing. I thought about the fact that overnight your local store may be too expensive. I imagined being elderly in this neighborhood. I thought about the fact that he may have been just dollar shy of the price, and freaked out. I thought how the government is not looking out for our elderly it should be. Everybody should be able to afford groceries, and at least the basics in this country, especially the retired elderly.

That encounter helped me realize that we must all look out for one another, especially the most vulnerable.
This has been a difficult time for everyone, and it’s not going to get any easier. I am out here trying to survive as well but giving a little can’t hurt. I am willing to go without  to be able to help another in need, especially the vulnerable. It makes me sad that I can not help more.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.


Love and Respect,


~Dawn Lovely Follow me @:https://twitter.com/iamdawnlovely, https://t.co/wfctLWHJ1W

Just Some Thoughts 🤔: Coping With Death And Social Media📱💻…..

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment
I understand that in this age, social media is therapeutic for many to express their feelings. Maybe it’s just me, but posting on social media is not my first thought after hearing news of a loved ones passing. Devastating news takes more than a minute to sink in, and death is the hardest to process. I’ve expressed my opinion in the past, regarding what I consider irresponsible use of social media RE loved ones. I am naturally a reserved and shy person to a degree. It took me years to get used to posting daily, especially my actual current thoughts. I don’t mind sharing, but it’s important to process your thoughts, so you can understand them, before sharing. The problem with death, is that everyone process death differently, and folks may get you twisted, based upon what you do or don’t post. I’ve witnessed a few celebrities be attacked or trolled online for posting “too late” on the passing of a loved one. I find that completely insane. It astounds me how relatives of celebrities deal with the passing of their famous relatives while the world posts their face. I do understand it comes along with the territory, but imagine not knowing that they passed away, and that’s the first thing you see! That would be difficult to deal with, for me at least.I couldn’t imagine total strangers re-posting info and details that I didn’t know about, especially when the news is fresh. About a week ago, I found out a very close friend of the family that was like family to us had passed away in a fatal car accident. I had to contact a relative to confirm that the news was true. The feeling of not knowing frustrated and annoyed me. It’s wrong to find out about the passing of a friend or relative via social media because it you can’t trust that the info is true. It’s the same as seeing a post about a celebrity death on a blog site or social media. You don’t necessarily know if the news is true, it could all be hearsay. Folks don’t hesitate to post, or re-post a story without fact checking first.
It’s horrifying to unknowingly log into your social media account, instantly see a photo of a friend or relative, with a blown up photo on your screen with the caption “Rest In Peace”.
This is all my opinion of course, I don’t expect my friends and family to feel the same way however, there’s nothing better than direct contact when handling mourning. I love to celebrate what that person brought to my life, with the people who knew and loved them best. There’s nothing better than the real thing, and talking about the best they brought to our lives keeps their light alive.

I’ll leave it at that for now, this is never an easy topic to write about but I hope you find the logic in my thoughts.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

Love and Respect,
~Dawn Lovely

Follow me @:https://twitter.com/iamdawnlovely, https://t.co/wfctLWHJ1W

Just Some Thoughts 🤔: Coping With Death, You Were More Than An📝 Article…

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment

I always found the manner which news articles are written on people who passed away, very strange.
When I was a child, I would curiously read the daily paper wondering, why would they post this???

I did not understand why they would write an article about a person, with no first or last name, yet post their age. I didn’t understand the reason why the articles were seemingly unfinished, with only a few details. A short explanation about what the “alleged” story was behind what actually may or may not have happened to the person. The article would sometimes even say the story is not confirmed yet. If there was a photo included, sometimes the photo wouldn’t match the age description. They’d list their age as thirty- something, but a use a high school graduation photo with the article.

It simply didn’t make sense to me, and it saddened me. It seemed to reduce the person’s life/legacy. The world would be reading about a person, that was way more than the article. Your whole life and legacy reduced to a soulless, detail lacking news article, that reads as though it was drafted in five minutes…

When I grew up , I understood the reason behind why those articles are written in that manner. The details behind what actually happened may not have not been researched or confirmed, but they will publish!
It’s just an article for a newspaper, it’s business, and something must be published, whether it’s accurate or not. There’s more to say, but I will continue in another post.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.


Love and Respect,


~Dawn Lovely

Follow me @:https://twitter.com/iamdawnlovely, https://t.co/wfctLWHJ1W

(PT 2)Police, Through The Eyes Of A Child👮🏻‍♂️👧🏾💭…..

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment

Continuing from where I left off…

I never wanted to distrust, dislike, hate, or fear the police. I never wanted to witness first hand how violent and aggressive they can be towards a complying citizen. I never thought of the police in terms of “race”, I never thought of the police as an enemy….. they were just men, in uniforms, with a gun, that were supposed to protect ME.


I saw a side of the police that I had never seen before. I saw them hurting someone, they were hurting my father! We were right outside of our house, it was so bizarre. Everything happened so fast, I was already shooken up by having to abruptly leave my house. I didn’t understand why they had to do this???
He was not resisting arrest by any means, and I did not hear him saying anything to the police. My father is far from perfect, but I had never seen him be violent towards anyone. He most certainly hadn’t been violent towards me, or any of us kids. Did he deserve this treatment??? Why is this taking so long??? Why hurt him, aren’t they supposed to put handcuffs on him on take him away??? Why do they need SO MANY COPS TO
BE ON HIM???
My father is a very tall, lean man, and as he was being draped up by about four cops, he looked like a rag doll being tossed around. I disctinctly remember the backyard area of the house next door had long stairs going down. They brought him down there, I did not see what they did to him though. I was so confused and disgusted. I wasn’t even crying, none of us kids cried. I was trying to process and understand what was going on. I wanted to go back inside of my house! I wanted this all to stop!

I’ll never forget hearing my mother pleading with them to let us go, let us leave the area, so we wouldn’t have to witness any violence. I always Thank God that my mother was a very calm and logical woman, because she properly addressed the police in a non-aggressive manner. She always spoke eloquently in any situation. I’ll never forget hearing her pleading with the police to please let us go! She didn’t want us to have to see any violence but her pleas fell on deaf ears.
I did not understand why we were not allowed to leave the area and get away from the scene. We were not doing anything wrong…..

Even writing about this incident is upsetting to my soul. My life, my world, ALL that I knew changed forever after this incident. I will continue in another post.


Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.


Love and Respect,

~Dawn Lovely

Follow me @:https://twitter.com/iamdawnlovely, https://t.co/wfctLWHJ1W

All Overnight☀️💭🙄⏳…..

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment
I was meaning to post this blog earlier last month, it seems as though time is whipping by and we’re trapped in an hourglass…

I walked outside in the afternoon, to what felt like a different country. It was as if summer literally arrived overnight, the tempermental weather finally chose summer!
Overnight it seems as though the virus has disappeared, and is no longer crippling our lives. I walked outside in the afternoon, to what felt like a different country. Folks strolling by were wearing shorts  and t-shirts, and most definitely were not  wearing masks!
I was happy to see and feel the sun, not covered by clouds, pure sunshine, bright and warm! It’s about time that my body gets a nice dose of vitamin D, but it sucks that I’ll still need to wear a mask…I really need to breathe some fresh air, and soak up a little sun before it goes away!
Okay, so the majority of pedestrians are not wearing masks. I’m not one to follow the crowd, but I want to make sure before I walk any further, I am prepared. I want to make sure I am allowed to enter the businesses that I need to go to. I don’t know if the rules for masks have changed because there hasn’t been any new announcements.
The question is, to mask, or not to mask?
I need to breathe, so I’ll walk without wearing one, for once, and do my best to “social distance”. I’ll try my best to avoid crowds as usual. Thank God everyone is pretty polite around here, we’re all staying out of each other’s way. We’re all trying to take advantage of this beautiful weather. Look at how happy those children are riding their bikes! Some folks are even trying to catch a tan, as though the sun will never come back out again.

Collectively we’re over it, the news said the virus can survive in hot weather. I know I’m not the only one who is questioning what is really going on???
No conspiracy theories, just simple observations.
We only get about three months of summer out of the year, and we’ve had autumn-like temperatures in between. It doesn’t feel natural, there is no balance.

I wouldn’t be surprised if it hailed tomorrow, but I would be happy to see tomorrow.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

Love and Respect,
~Dawn Lovely

Follow me @:https://twitter.com/iamdawnlovely, https://t.co/wfctLWHJ1W

Just Some Thoughts: In The Meantime…. 💯🤔☝🏼

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment

I had to put the continuation of my last post on pause, there’s some thoughts I need to share…

Depending on where you live, the social climate outside may be different, it’s been calm over here, and I’m fortunate for that. Keeping up with the local news, the worldwide press conferences, ALL of the “unrest” of the people, the misleading mainstream media, the controversy, the chaos, the blatant lies, and the truth can be overwhelming.

I one hundred percent understand the anger, frustration and pain of the folks who are peacefully protesting, in general, folks are fed up! Covid-19 quarantine stress, money troubles, many other factors have come into play.
I’ve been keeping a level head for the most part, but I did have a good long cry after watching a woman cry because her local store was destroyed. She wanted to purchase groceries for her children, and had no where else to go. There was another elderly woman who cried the same, because she had no clue where she would get her medication from…

The fires really blew my mind, I was gazed, lost in the blaze. I have seen buildings on fire in real life before, but I have never seen a whole neighborhood on fire. I have only lived in Western society, and have been fortunate to never have had to experience war. Watching these events on livestreams, is the closest I’ve ever been. I especially worry  for the children and the elderly, they are defenseless. Can you imagine being  a child, walking past the local grocery store in your neighborhood that you love to go to with your mother, and seeing it has been changed over night to a pile of ashes???
I understand history, and these events are supposed to happen, the children will live through it, as they have in the past.
The difference for me with 2020, is there’s so much conflicting information, and agendas being pushed at once.

I saw a little girl be scolded by her mother in the store for touching her mask, then touching her face by mistake. Meanwhile, only approximately thirty percent of people in the store were wearing masks, and on the street mid-town street. Don’t they say that children are less susceptible to catch the virus?

I felt sad for that little girl because there’s so much confusion and mixed messages coming from adults. On top of it, these children will not be going to school apparently until autumn. I forsee that school promise may not go through, I would not want to have to explain that to my child.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.


Love and Respect,

~Dawn Lovely

Follow me @:https://twitter.com/iamdawnlovely, https://t.co/wfctLWHJ1W

Police, Through The Eyes Of A Child👮🏻‍♂️👧🏾💭…..

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment

My first experience with police was at five years old, when my house was raided, and my father was assaulted before my very eyes.

I shied away from sharing this story, partly because it’s not just my story, it’s my family’s story too. I was apprehensive because this incident changed our lives as we knew it. We’ve never really discussed the trauma aspect of it, but collectively, we saw police in very negative way that day. I may have mentioned this incident in a previous blog, but not in detail. I’d like to take you back in time with me, I want to share this story through my eyes as a child.

As I grew up, I understood my father’s mistakes and illegal activities are what lead up to the police raiding our house. He is accountable for that. The problem was, that WE the children were NOT handled in a sensitive manner, considering we had nothing to do with the problem. When I look back on this incident, I know it molded my view on law enforcement forever. It cemented negative expectations from them in my mind, and I lost my trust and faith in them, also part of my innocence.

Before this incident, I thought the way most five years olds do. I thought police were the “good guys” that always helped and protected everyone. I trusted the police.
That’s what they taught us in kindergarten, right? They come into our classrooms and talk to us, and teach us about safety. They are friendly and approachable looking, with their shiny badge and neat uniform.
I had no reason to fear or question the police, and my parents never spoke ill of them….On television, kiddie shows, Sesame Street, in cartoons, they were always the good guys.

I never wanted to distrust, dislike, hate, or fear the police. I never wanted to witness first hand how violent and aggressive they can be towards a complying citizen. I never thought of the police in terms of “race”, I never thought of the police as an enemy….. they were just men, in uniforms, with a gun, that were supposed to protect ME.

Well, I will continue in my next blog.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.


Love and Respect,

~Dawn Lovely

Follow me @:https://twitter.com/iamdawnlovely, https://t.co/wfctLWHJ1W

I Can’t Help But Think💭🙄😥…..

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment

The very unfortunate, heart-wrenching, senseless murder of  George Floyd(RIP) captured on camera by a bystander has shook the world. I tried to avoid watching the footage, because I didn’t need the picture in my head. I ended up watching one of my favourite YouTube journalists covering the story, and the clip was included.

The footage of him, terrified, fighting for his life, laying on the ground with a cop’s knee digging into his neck deeply upset my spirit. I felt an erie vibe, seeing George “passing out”, I was very upset, and the stress started getting to my head. I pictured myself standing there, and then becoming very agitated, watching the policeman kneel on this grown man. I pictured myself running up, attempting to pull the cop off of him, and then being manhandled by the other cop who stood guard. I witnessed my father be brutalized by a gang of  police right in front of me, outside my house at I five years old. I think I told that story in a previous blog. This situation brought back that helpless feeling…

I rarely post on world trending topics, because I feel there are so many people repeating the same words, that my words will hold no power online. As a writer, I try to be sincere and write from a pure place, and if I’m unable to, I simply don’t. I want you to know that keep I up with the news, all current events and trending topics in Canada, and worldwide. I try to keep up with the real people, the independent journalist online who speak the truth that the news will not.
The aftermath has been truly disturbing to watch. Since it is all being livestreamed across the internet, my eyes have been glued to the screen.
I am very aware, and completely understand the reasons behind the actions of the people, however I’m flabbergasted and deeply saddened by it all. I have shed many tears, since this pandemic hit, and these recent events have had me weeping. Some tears shed on others behalf, not all for me.


My spirit, my intuition has been telling me that we all will be left stranded in the same boat when this insane chaos is put to an end. There will be immense, irreparable damage that will have a trickle down effect to the majority of the population. You don’t have to be “woke” to see that the rules will shift very quickly and the new virus rules will look like a cakewalk in comparison. I’m going to leave it at that for now. I’ll continue in my next post.


Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.


Love and Respect,

~Dawn Lovely