( ENSPIRE She Did That ) Tyson Is The Author Of “Single Mama; Powerful; Not Pitiful”
ENSPIRE Contributor: Gabrielle Maya
Catherine Tyson has been a single mother of three and has found love again at 50. In addition to finding love, happiness, and joy, she didn’t anticipate becoming a mother again. Now that she is raising an infant, she is readjusting to a soft life, spreading her message of love, and fighting to pursue a better life at any age. With many years in management, teaching, and training, Tyson is a trained social worker and family counselor. With undergraduate degrees in psychology and Social Work, she is now a licensed Master’s of Social Work (MSW).
In addition to finding love and her social work expertise, Tyson is well known in the Cayman Islands as a media personality in radio, print, and television. She is the current producer and host of the CTS Wind Down Radio Show. The past producer of her TV show Lighten Up with Catherine Tyson. Furthermore, Tyson is the Managing Director of Missing Link Training and Support Services, which provides training and development to the corporate world and work-ready programs for unemployed and underemployed individuals.
Tyson shares her psychology expertise and how it correlates with her social work,the services provided by Missing Link Training and Support Services, her radio show, her experience as a single mother, and her journey to finding love.
How did you get into social work, and how has that correlated with your psychology expertise?
My entire life, I just wanted to help people. My mom used to tell me that I felt sorry for people even though she thought we might have been worse off than them! That is funny and speaks to my quality of life and feeling that I had so much compared to people with more material. So, my journey into social work and counseling stems from wanting to help people, being a vulnerable individual myself, seeing the possibility of success and the ability to change one’s story, and knowing that you have power over your destiny.
My mom raised her three children in the ’60s and ’70s with the help of my great-grandmother, the church community, and the village. Even though we have come very far from the concept, the idea of community and village still works, and social workers’ main aim is to lean on this idea while doing the self-work necessary for success. I started out wanting to do psychology and understand the brain. Why do people do things and want to help individuals? After getting a taste of social work, it was apparent that my interest was in working with communities and groups on a very social level to take responsibility.
What are some of the services Missing Link Training and Support Services offers individuals, and in what areas?
Missing Link is a training and support company that offers various training workshops and programs for self-development and soft skills training to the corporate world, as well as work-ready programs. We work with unemployed and underemployed individuals to assist with basic skills, business etiquette, identification, and placement of further interests and upskilling. We also provide career, individual, and group counseling to companies as a part of their employee support system. We also work with schools in getting students work-ready and professional image. Our workshops and programs range from 1-day workshops to up to 3 months.
Could you tell us about the CTS Wind Down Radio Show and your experience as the host and producer of the show? The CTS Wind Down show is coming up to its one-year anniversary. It is a program with chats about interesting life topics and smooth music to help listeners wind down from their week and get ready for the weekend, where they are encouraged to live, laugh, and love their families and friends. Being the producer and host is a tough job because you are a one-man show, and everything falls on your shoulders. But it also has its perks since all decisions come down to you, and you are your boss.
What does Lighten Up with Catherine Tyson offer audiences and make it a unique show?
In a world inundated with negative stories, being a voice of positive media is a responsibility I don’t take lightly. Through my show and media work, I always aim to leave people feeling better than when they came. When I started Lighten Up, I was one of a few women of color doing a TV talk show in the Caribbean diaspora that represented power, beauty, humor, and love for me. Young women in the Caribbean could see someone like them at the forefront of a lovely show, looking gorgeous and unapologetically fabulous while encouraging people to shake it off and lighten up and lighten their load while loving life and finding the reasons in life to smile.
Could you explain your journey as a single mother with three kids? What advice and words of wisdom do you have for future mothers raising children independently?
My journey as a single mother to three little children was tough, and I saw a lot of struggles. Still, with precision and focus, I persevered and could live a beautiful existence with three amazing humans that I am blessed to have in my life. I have been a part of getting them here on this earth and to where they are now. The fact that I embraced my situation with a positive “can do” attitude is the main reason the outcome is what it is. I refused to buy into the belief system that my three children and I were subpar and had to settle for what life had for us versus what I could achieve and where I wanted to go in my life. As tough as it was, I took charge of our destiny and stayed the course, knowing that there was a light at the end of the tunnel, and there was!
My advice or words of wisdom are to do yourself and society a favor and love your children and focus on them and what you want for them. Of course, to fully understand what the word love means and really love them, setting limits, teaching values, setting goals, planning for their future, etc. And go spend time with them and invest in them because they will be your best investment, and they are so awesome!
People love you, but not like your children love you! No one in this world is ever that excited that you have entered the room but your children. You are a rock star to them, and they are your Beyhive! I mean, come on, you have to honor that! Plus, you brought them here—living, breathing human beings who did not ask you to come here—so you owe them and not vice versa.
What experiences do you mention in your books “Single Mama; Powerful Not Pitiful” and “I’m Somebody’s Mama” that can be used by single and married parents alike?
In both books, “I’m Somebody’s Mama” and “Single Mama; Powerful Not Pitiful,” there are many relatable stories and takeaways as a parent that all parents can relate to overall, whether you are single or otherwise. For Example, the latest book, Quality vs. Quantity, is for all parents because we can get caught up on the time that we spend or don’t spend with our children, and we should focus on maximizing the time that we have with them, not on the time that we do not have. Sing Their Praises refers to building your children up in the home so, for instance, when they face the world, they are equipped to handle negativity. Be Productive talks about preparing yourself for your children, who will ultimately leave, and you need to be ready so that you don’t have to depend on them to care for you solely.
Parents are a powerful force and have a massive responsibility to the world. Being able to navigate your own life and be responsible for other humans who will ultimately become adults is very serious and should not be taken lightly. Suppose we approach this responsibility daily in this way. In that case, we can be intentional with our parenting, knowing that we are shaping the next generation and helping to build or create a world we would be proud of or happy to live in.
Part of your story is that you found love at 50. What advice would you give those searching for a connection or even thinking they are undeserving of love due to unavoidable circumstances? If possible, share how you and your now husband met and what essential values are needed to maintain a long-lasting, happy relationship.
Finding love later in life was more of a default situation than a plan. In other words, it just happened that way. As a single mother, I had things to do, so whenever “love” showed up and it didn’t feel right, I just let it go because there were three other people involved who deserved to see and be a part of good and positive relationships with people claiming to be in love. If that didn’t come, I didn’t want it. Obviously, with this outlook, there was no choice but to wait until it came or try and try again if it was not manifesting itself.
My advice would be never to lose hope, talk to God, and get clear on what you want and, more importantly, what you don’t want. Pay attention to what doesn’t feel right in your spirit, become more in tune with those gut feelings, start to love being on your own, and not be afraid of being alone if they are not the right one.
My husband and I met randomly at a festival. It started raining; I took shelter and stood beside this guy. It was dark, and we just kept commenting about the stage performances. After an hour, the lights came on, and he asked for my number. The rest is history, as they say. It was the most random meeting ever! I had gone out on an evening that I had not even planned to go. I was dancing in the street (it was a carnival) and had to retreat to get shelter. Little did I know my future was waiting under that cover on that starry night in the tropics. I had prayed a month earlier to meet someone like myself, an honest, what you see is what you get kind of person. It turned out that was who I had met that night.
The essential values needed to maintain a long-lasting, happy relationship are commitment to the relationship and each other on both sides, respect for one another and yourself, and honesty because if you cannot trust one another, what do you have? I believe those things are needed if you love someone. Love is not this cute and shiny thing to me. It is serious business, just like parenting a whole human being. I am so glad that I finally found that love and it found me. I am pleased to share that love with everyone who calls me mommy.
Follow Catherine Tyson on Instagram for more information on her workshops, programs, and training services. Listen to her radio show by viewing her Facebook page. Her books “Single Mama; Powerful Not Pitiful” and “I’m Somebody’s Mama” are found on Amazon.
Related Articles: The Social Worker Building Others’ Confidence During the Pandemic, Social Worker Natasha Dyce Survives Covid Battle
