90-Year Old Author Pays Tribute to Her Late Husband’s Legacy on Father’s Day

In a poignant memoir recounting pivotal moments in her life, Miriam Samuel, a 90-year-old retired school teacher and senior entrepreneur, pays tribute to her late husband’s legacy. Within the pages of her book, “Mirie’s Magic Recipe: Loving, Leading Legacy,” she fondly reminisces how she supported the dreams of her late husband, the Hon. Charlesworth Samuel, during their 45-year marriage, while raising their five children together.

On the occasion of Father’s Day, Mrs. Samuel  reminisces how she navigated financial challenges while her husband pursued full-time studies at the University of the West Indies. She reflects how during her husband’s trials and triumphs, she unearthed many hidden talents, and a passion for creating innovative products. This molded her path towards entrepreneurship as a way to supplement the family’s income. As she reflects on her husband’s varied life experiences, her message to couples resonates with depth: ‘Encourage your partner’s dreams and aspirations, for therein lies the essence of discovering your own passion.’

Chapter 9 of her book, ‘Build a legacy on a foundation of love, lessons, and leadership,’ delves into how her husband’s career choices influenced her own legacy. Describing her role as a supportive wife and mother, Miriam likens herself to a co-pilot helping to guide their family’s journey through uncharted waters.

“I was the front seat passenger, supporting my husband by reading the signs, giving directions and helping to guide our family’s journey.”

Although she married a humble school teacher she became the wife of a politician almost overnight, a role that was thrust upon her with little discussion or forethought. Yet, with limited knowledge of what was involved, she stood ready to support her husband’s dream of running for office. But in two short months, anticipation quickly turned to disappointment. Although her husband, Charlesworth, won his seat handsomely, his Party lost the general elections. An excerpt from her book states: “The outcome of the 1976 election was a disaster for us economically, socially and emotionally.  My husband had given up his successful role as a school principal in order to run for office and we were facing an outcome that neither of us had expected, with disastrous financial consequences.”

Despite the unexpected outcome of her husband’s political campaign in 1976, which led to significant financial setbacks, the couple faced adversity together, restructuring their lives and planning for the future. While Charlesworth focused on formal learning and pursued a law degree, Miriam turned to informal learning and entrepreneurship, utilizing her crafting, baking, and gardening skills to sustain their family.

Following her husband’s passing in 2008, Miriam assumed responsibility for the family finances, honing her money management skills and embracing new challenges while in her 70s. She had to learn how to budget, pay bills and manage her expenses. But no stranger to struggle and sacrifice, Grandma Mirie was ready to learn new skills in financial literacy. Transitioning from teacher to culinary creator and gardener, she established ‘Screw Pine,’ an agri-products business showcasing a range of natural products that offer familiar flavors and aromas — a sense of Caribbean-inspired nostalgia. She creates over 100 products including breads, jams, jellies, confectionery, wines, teas, kombucha, soaps and oils.

Throughout her book, Miriam uses culinary metaphors to draw parallels between life and food, and to share wisdom about how to navigate life’s challenges. At the end of each chapter, she shares her favorite recipes, highlighting key ingredients that help to shape mindset, skills, and strategies that pave the way to accomplishing one’s goals and ambitions.

Mirie’s commitment to lifelong learning is evident in her pursuit of new skills in her golden years, epitomizing resilience and adaptability. She believes that it is never too late to reinvent oneself and as a senior, she learned to speak Spanish, play the steel pan and make pottery.

Her resilience and willingness to adapt over time, is a characteristic that she shared with her late husband. In her book, she compares being open to new ideas and experiences, with the process of making kombucha. “The continuous fermentation of kombucha mirrors the dynamic nature of personal growth,” she writes, emphasizing the transformative power of lifelong learning.

Miriam celebrates the opportunities that emerged from supporting her husband’s dream, embracing shared legacies and the invaluable lessons learned. She believes that the greatest things in life require commitment, sacrifice, some struggle and hardship. “If you succeed without sacrifice it is because someone has suffered before you. If you sacrifice without success it is because someone will succeed after,” she notes.

Mirie’s story serves as an embodiment of female resilience, exemplifying strength and determination in the face of loss. It reinforces the saying that beside every great man, stands a great woman and the best thing to hold onto in a marriage is each other. Governor General Sir Rodney Williams has commended Miriam’s contributions not only as an educator and entrepreneur, but also as a symbol of inspiration beyond the pages of her memoir.

For those interested in delving deeper into Miriam Samuel’s captivating journey, her book, “Mirie’s Magic Recipe: Loving, Leading, Legacy” is available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/2QZL8fk

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