by Howard Campbell
[SOUTH FLORIDA] – Traditional values were a hallmark of Rose-Marie Adamson’s life in Robin’s Hall, a rural district in Manchester parish, Jamaica where she was born and raised.
She credits those traits with shaping her own family which she has raised in South Florida. Now Rose-Marie Adamson-Lewis, she is principal of Total Healthcare Services & Wellness, located in Coconut Creek.
“My childhood days were filled with love, decency, ethics, morals, and principle. Emphasis was placed on respecting others, especially our elders, whereby civility was practiced and had become reciprocal. There were no knives or guns in school. The Bible was our only weapon and prayer was in the classroom! We could not ‘back chat’ our parents or teachers,” said Lewis, who is also president of the Jamaica Diaspora Southern USA.
Manchester is located in central Jamaica. Its chief town, Mandeville, has long been a retirement community for Jamaicans returning home after living (especially) in the United Kingdom for many years.
The Early Years
Life in Robin’s Hall was low-key compared to the buzz of Kingston, Jamaica’s capital which is 70 miles away, but Lewis reveled in the pleasures of country life. That included participating in recreational activities like theater and sports at Holmwood Technical High School, her alma mater.
“My community was one where the famous quote, that it takes a village to raise a child, was practiced. All the children were everybody’s children. Everybody looked out for the interest of the other. Children had good manners and approached adults respectfully by saying ‘yes ma’am’ and ‘yes sir’,” she related. “Life was good and rich without having a dollar in one’s pocket, because the focus was on the quality of life and not so much on the quantity of money we had. As young people, our goal was to become the best versions of ourselves.”
From Jamaica to South Florida
Since migrating to South Florida 37 years ago, Lewis has established herself in the health field as a registered family nurse and psychiatrist. She maintains close ties with Robin’s Hall; the district’s Post Office is located in the house where she grew up.
“If I were to go back in time it would be in reminiscence of when I served at summer camps at Clarendon College. I attended the Robin’s Hall United Church of Jamaica and Grand Cayman. My happiest times were going to camp. A host of young people congregated, and we had a week-long of profound connection with God… spirit filled, soul-searching encounters, and renewed faith in Christ,” she said. “We made new friends, greeted old ones and here, life-time soulmates were founded. Overall, I am indebted to my homeland sweet Jamaica and will ever pay it forward.”
