My dream in my thirties was to be a motivational speaker. I had attended a presentation in which a woman spoke on the title, Be a Pepper! She was a scintillating speaker who had the whole auditorium in her hands! No one was fidgeting, and everybody had their eyes on her. But, what made the... Continue Reading →
The plan was to move to Portugal and live cheaply on our pensions and Social Security. Â Living in a country with cheaper rents and expenses meant that our monies would go further and last longer, allowing us to travel all over the world. But, after six weeks in Portugal, I knew that living in a... Continue Reading →
My seventh great-grandchild, Knola Kai, was born today! She weighed in at 6 pounds and 13 ounces. I am grateful to God for this new life that I have prayed so fervently to enter the world healthy and strong. Words fail me right now for how much I appreciate God's goodness to us in the... Continue Reading →
For nearly three years, we have lived next door to a mother and daughter who actually moved in the rental property next door the same week we bought our house. I never went over to saying hello, and they never came over to introduce themselves. It seems like knowing your neighbors is old-fashioned today. I... Continue Reading →
During an especially difficult time in my life, I wondered if the earth was some kind of cosmic prison for the rest of the universe, the place people are sent when they have misbehaved in the rest of the cosmos. Being born black in the South in the 1950s, female, poor, and unattractive by cultural... Continue Reading →
It's difficult and painful to realize that you have been wearing a mask for a long time, not really being as authentic as you should have been. It does not matter if the mask was worn unintentionally; what matters is finding the courage to admit that you need to change and to be real in... Continue Reading →
Sometimes one unexpected question can change the way you see yourself. For me, the question was asked after a lecture on domestic violence in one of my sociology questions. A young female student raised her hand and asked, "How did you become such a strong woman after all that you have been through?" I stopped... Continue Reading →
On one of the legs of the flight from Portugal, I sat next to a young woman, possibly in her twenties, who coughed a lot but did not cover her mouth. Douglas and I gave her the evil eye, trying to embarrass her into using good manners, but to no avail. I should have spoken... Continue Reading →
Being sick and confined to bed the last two weeks gave me time for serious reflection. When I was a little girl of age nine, I remember the older people in church thanking God for waking up in their "right mind." I did not fully understand then what they meant by having a right mind.... Continue Reading →
One of the wonderful perks of being a professor was seeing the reactions of parents at graduation. The professors were required to attend at least one ceremony each year, but, wherever I was teaching, I always volunteered to attend all of the graduation services, much to the relief of my colleagues who were not as... Continue Reading →
Help from Heaven 