The Jamaica Star :: Entertainment :: Memories of mom

Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

YENDI

STAR of the month Yendi Phillipps took some time recently to share fond memories of her late mother, Sonja Phillipps.

Her mom died when she was at the young and impressionable age of 16, in February of 2002. A mid-wife at the University Hospital of the West Indies, Yendi's mom taught her daughter many life lessons and helped prepare her for her death.

"For some reason, when she died, I was sort of prepared, she had been ill for a while so she did her best to make sure we were okay and prepared. I was still affected by it greatly, though, it really hurt. Her birthday was actually Monday gone, the 21st, and I felt bad because I knew I would have preferred to spend it with her," Yendi said.

According to Yendi, she remembers her mom as being a cheerful, fun-loving person, and many persons have told the young Miss Jamaica World that she is a lot like her mother in looks and temperament. Yendi has many treasured lessons and memories of her mom, such as Christmas time when her mother used to always be baking and lessons such as 'when you don't have nothing good to say, say nothing at all'.

Tattoed heart

Yendi has two tattoos in memory of her mother. She had her mother's initials, 'SAP', tattooed on her wrist in 2004. She also has a Ghanian symbol tattooed on her foot, 'Aya', representing strength and endurance and is worn by people who have endured hardships in life. Yendi had this tattoo done on the fifth anniversary of her mother's death

With the starlet having accomplished so much recently, winning the Miss Jamaica World crown, becoming the new host of Digicel Rising Stars and carrying out numerous charity efforts, Yendi knows her mother would have been proud.

She said: "I ask myself, every day, what would she think about what I'm doing and I think she would be proud. When I won Miss Jamaica World, I had tears in my eyes and people might have thought, 'why is she crying, 'cause she just won?', but I was crying 'cause I felt she could see me and was happy."

Chat w/ Yendi

Yendi

Yendi fans, this is your opportunity to interact with the STAR of the Month via the internet and telephone.

STAR of the Month Yendi will be giving her fans a chance to chat with her on Tuesday, July 29. Log on to www.go-jamaica.com to chat online with Yendi between 5 and 6 p.m. or call THE STAR's toll-free line at 1-888-The Star to speak with her from 6-7 p.m. Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance!