Overall, I put my faith in the Lord God, trusting that I am not alone in my struggles or triumphs. But, as a little girl growing up in the segregated South, adults used to tell us that when we saw a redbird, we were to throw kisses at it until it flew away. Supposedly, that one gesture would bring us luck and make life more bearable. You should have seen us kids throwing kisses all day, for there seemed to be lots of redbirds in Tennessee.
Today, when one of those beauties comes to feed at the bird feeder, or I see one in the trees, I automatically start throwing kisses, out of a lifelong habit. I don’t really believe that it makes any difference, but it can’t hurt. I am not really superstitious, but I have lived long enough to know that you need all the help you can muster to get through this world.
As I have aged, I think older people back in Tennessee wanted to give us a sense of hope for the future. They didn’t have the same opportunities I had, as I became a laborer when Affirmative Action was instituted under the Civil Rights Act. I was one of the first black women to hold the job I had at the local telephone company, a job that had previously been held only by white men. I went to college at Georgia State University for three degrees, including a doctorate, something not allowed before the 1960s. Indeed, while at GSU, I would not ride in the elevator that was assigned to black students. It was my own small rebellion against discrimination.
So, while I may not believe that throwing kisses at the redbirds will help, I don’t think that God holds it against me or thinks I am trusting in anything but Him. But, I also know that it brings me great memories of doing so with my sister, cousins, and neighbors. I still do it because it gives me joy to acknowledge the beauty of the redbird as a God-given gift to us, and to capture a little bit of my childhood.
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