Be Like Water

Hello! Welcome to my first blog post.

Let's get right to it and answer the burning question, What do the words NZADI AMISTAD mean?

The answer is pretty simple. These two words are near and dear to my heart. Nzadi and Amistad are two of my favorite words. And the reason that I chose them is because I want to honor my mom and dad. These two words honor the places where my parents were born.

My dad is from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), formerly Zaire. He emigrated to the United States in 1976. NZADI means river in Congo or Kikongo, which is one of the languages spoken in the region where my father grew up. Nzadi is also the name of a language that is spoken in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the name of a city located there.  

My mom was born and raised in Southwest Texas. Not far from where she grew up, there is a beautiful body of water called Lake Amistad. I have beautiful memories of driving out to the lake with my family when I was a little girl. We would get up early and pack some food and drinks. Then we would pile into my grandpa's car and head to Del Rio. We would make a whole day of enjoying each other's company, lazily floating in the water, playing with rocks, fishing, and eating whatever had been packed into our little brown paper bags and picnic baskets. 

The word AMISTAD means friendship in Spanish. In the little town where I grew up, this word is the name of several local businesses, so I've seen it written and spelled out on signs, in the local newspaper, and on business cards for most of my life. It's always been one of my favorite words.

While trying to decide on a name for my editing and writing business, these two words kept coming up. They seemed to be setting the tone for my business. Even though the two words come from two different languages, they seem to work together. To me, Nzadi Amistad can be translated to mean "the river of friendship" or "friendship river." And in my work, that is my goal, to foster a relationship, a friendship, with my clients that makes them feel comfortable enough to allow me to aid them in achieving their goals of writing and publishing a book or completing a resume and cover letter, so they can pursue their dream job. And like a river, I hope the relationships I form flow placidly, serenely, and always toward progress and prosperity.  

Another reason why Nzadi Amistad is such a special name for my editing and writing business is because the two words serve as a constant reminder for the type of life that I strive to live. I have a dear friend who always reminds me to be like water. Martial Arts Master Bruce Lee famously said,"Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way 'round or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose them. Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless like water. When you pour water in a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle. When you pour water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend."

So it seems fitting that these two words would also reference water since this philosophy is something that I strive for in my personal and professional life.