By Dr. Christina M. Kishimoto, CEO, Voice4Equity
As a child, Abuela would constantly talk about wanting a picture of the Flamboyan tree. It usually started with a question to my older brother. Me puedes buscar un retrato del Flamboyan para poner en esta pared? Pero no chiquito. Un retrato grande!
I loved how her quest for a picture would lead to a series of stories about these red massive shade trees in Puerto Rico that made me feel like we were suddenly sitting under one, talking with the enthusiasm of islanders.
Her eyes would brighten and she would be all smiles as she talked about the Flamboyan tree where the Caribbean breeze would flow through her hair. I thought I could see her short cropped hair move to the breeze as we talked in her small, hot Bronx apartment.
One day, my brother brought Abuela a huge wrapped frame. As she unwrapped it, I finally set eyes on the Flamboyan. It was the gift of all gifts! I think she danced with it. I wanted to crawl into her mindspace and hear the deep memories she secretly carried. There were no stories that day, just a look of love and longing in her water-filled eyes, like the warm Caribbean sea.
The framed poster went up right away and I would catch her standing in front of it, staring with a smile. I looked hard at that poster wanting to see what she saw. There was some type of magic to that tree!
Many years later, as a grown woman with a dream of leveraging my own life stories in leadership and persistence, the vision of the Flamboyan bloomed before me. I now had the years of experience to finally understand what Abuela saw in that picture. And so it just made sense that when I created a company by and for women change-makers, I would use the Flamboyan tree as my logo – a symbol of women’s strength, stories, and journeys.
Voice4Equity is an organization that creates a unique, safe and inclusive space for women who believe that joy, love and humanity pave a path toward a more just world. Under that shade tree we are reminded that our bodies carry the power of life – the secret of the universe, the worth of humanity. Under the shade tree we each bring our own stories, and together we own our collective narrative. We are powerful, we are love, we are joy!
Under the Flamboyan we find rest, renew our strength and reset our purpose together, before setting out again to our calling to lead with love and boldness.
Join us under the Flamboyan!
