GOOD PEOPLE
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| DAUGHTER OF DECEIT |
In a good mood today! It's Friday. I'm off for the weekend looking forward to family, doggies, and writing. My youngest decided on her college. I'm thrilled for her! A new era in her life is dawning.
Thinking back to my college days. Would I have done things differently? Should I? Honestly, I don't think so. I'm a firm believer that things happen for a reason. I believe everything that we go through leads us to where we need to be. Life is a journey with many valleys and peaks.
I have been fortunate. I'm surrounded by a family that loves me. I have always been. I was thinking back to when I was younger growing up in the rural hill country of Northeast Mississippi. I grew up surrounded by cotton fields, green pastures, and the finest people you would ever want to met. My father, God bless his soul, taught us right from wrong, but he also taught us (my siblings and I) to be compassionate souls.
Growing up in the rural back roads, my siblings and I only had each other at most times especially during the summer months. My older sister, Laura, was like the queen bee. She would order us about and was always so worried about getting into trouble. Now that honor lay with my younger brother, Gary, and I. We were the ones that constantly got into trouble. You know the kinda trouble I'm talking about like when Momma told us to watch our youngest brother, Greg, while we were playing outside. Then telling our trusting brother that we were playing cowboy and Indians and he was the cowboy. Okay, tying him up to the tree wasn't the brightest moment in our lives, but it was better than the time we told Greg to jump from a moving dune buggy. Well, what can I say? Momma said to take him down to our Grandmother's. If you stopped the dune buggy, it wouldn't start back up without jumping it off. It wasn't our fault he leaped on the pavement. Told him to jump on the grass...
It is one of those moments, we laugh about now. But I think the moment I remember most growing up was a beautiful summer day. Nothing special going on. I was ten. The sun was out and my cousins were down to visit. Everyone was so excited about something, but I hadn't a clue what...until I was called into the living room. Now we were never allowed in the living room. The 'good' furniture was for company. So to be called into the living room was totally unexpected. I didn't notice that my siblings and cousins had followed me in to find my parents in front of the most beautiful piano with a huge red bow on it. My parents out of the blue gave me what I most desired at the time. All the more special because I never expected it. We weren't poor but money was scarce. Everyone was so excited for me. It is a moment I cherish in my heart forever.
Everyone celebrated with me because that's what family does. Even now being so far away from them, it takes only one phone call. My daddy raised us right, you know. Greg is a fine man-the kind of man that would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it and not have another one to put on. My sister, Laura, served as County Attorney for twenty years. And my brother, Gary, well...he's a preacher man. Yes, my brother is a preacher. He works with underprivileged kids to help see they have a better life. Good people.
But there are good people everywhere. Today for some reason I'm remembering things I haven't thought about for quite a while. There was a time years and years ago when I was coming back up North with my kids after visiting my family without my husband. We were stuck on a plane on a runway in Atlanta. It was a hot summer day with the usual thunderstorms delaying our departure. Then they turned off the air conditioner on the plane. Before long, it was sweltering. I was sitting with my kids: my oldest probably around 7; my youngest a year and a half. Suddenly out of the blue, my youngest started throwing up. It was everywhere. I tried to get to the bathroom with her and she started throwing again. Here we were on a runway going no where, sweltering and my baby is throwing up over everyone. Do you know not one person said a word of complaint? Not one word. Instead everyone helped me.
It doesn't take much for a kind word or deed to make a difference. You know what I remember most about my mother-in-law when I met her. She was always driving some elderly neighbor back and forth from either a doctor's appointment, hair dresser or grocery store. She knew everyone in her neighborhood and everyone knew her. That compassion was passed on to her son. My hubbie- he's a good man. No one I know has a better heart.
I think back in my life on what I have done. Oh, there are some moments that blare out at me like the time I caught a burglar stealing from my neighborhood's house. Wanted in seven states, huge drug ring. The police department in the town where we lived at the time got an accommodation for the arrest. Something like that usually didn't happen. They caught him red handed with 3 other houses he had stolen from and a stolen van. What did I get at the time? When the story came out in the paper, I was 'neighbor'...which was just fine with me. I will have to tell the whole story another time. Funny, I have still have the papers. When I die, someone is going to wonder why I kept those papers. No one will figure out that I was the neighbor in the story. But I kept it any way.
I have tried to live my life in that manner. I have never, ever done anything intentionally to be mean. My daddy told me 'live your life so you can look at yourself in the mirror every morning.'
I'm not perfect..far from it. I would never try to put myself on a pedestal. Can't it's a long way to fall, but no matter what anyone thinks about me, no one can ever say I harmed another. Instead I've done my best to help any that needs help.
Today's blog is a thank you to a group of good people. They will know who I mean. I can't say exactly what I've been going through in my writing at the moment, but the experience hasn't been pleasant and no one should have to endure an injustice. But no one said life was fair.
I believe everything happens for a reason. This too. I just wanted everyone to know I will never forget the kindness extended to me.
So I will end with...read Daughter of Deceit. I love the new cover. I love the book. I would love for you to review it.
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