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Monday, September 1, 2014

holding on to youth..

A few weeks ago, my birthday week to be exact,
I was heading home on what we call the New Road or the back road.
It had just started drizzling but I could tell from the black 
clouds coming our way.
On the side of the road was a woman.
A very thin woman walking in the rain with a McDonald's
uniform on. She looked disheveled and she looked 
in a hurry. I was going the opposite way but something
told me, "turn around, don't let this woman walk 
in what is coming". So I did and as i got closer, 
I realized I knew this woman, she looked so old
but I knew we went to school together and I 
remembered her from the doctors offices as
she had two little girls, one handicapped.
I rolled down the window and asked if 
I could give her a ride. She put out her cigarette
and I noticed just how old she looked, thin
as though she had missed a few meals.
She said she could walk but she would
take me up on the offer because she was
in a hurry to get to her next job.
She asked if I was sure because she lived kind
of far. Told her I didn't mind and she hopped in.
She didn't smell lovely, like smoke and McyD's
She thanked me over and over we began
to talk and she said that she had 4 jobs.
"I have girls who refuse to work so I have to do it."
She also shares that she does not know me
because she is so much older than me.
This breaks me heart. Because I know we
are the same age. But for the grace of God,
this could be me. She is right, she does look much older
than me. I don't say that, she doesn't need to know.
She tells me her name that I already knew,
I tell her mines.
"Drop me off at the laundromat in front of my house
as I put my next work uniform in there to wash 
when I leave for McDonald's and on my 
way home I dry it. My next job I walk to fourchon."
FOURCHON??? for those of you who do not
know fourchon, it is about half hour from where
we are in a car. She tells me, she has to do what she has
to do…. She becomes my hero that day.
I drop her off at the laundromat, behind it
is about 20 campers, not new campers, old run down
campers and I know she lives in one of those.
MY heart goes out to this woman.
I remembered her from years past, when dealing
with her in the office, she was not always kind,
having a handicapped child, she was demanding
now I see why Life has not been easy for this woman.
she thanks me over and over, wants to give me money.
Instead I force her to take a 20 bill from me.
We make eye contact, she wants to cry, she hugs
me and I allow her to. It does not matter that she smokes
and smells of stale smoke, that she smells of flipping burgers
all night, it matters that we are sisters in Christ.
I say often, when someone offers to do something for you
let them. It gives them a chance to be a disciple of Christ.
I was full of emotions when I dropped her off,
happy I could help, sad that she lived this hard every day,
relieved that I don't have to walk anywhere unless I choose.
Happy that because of my life, I don't look old as she does.
I wished I could have hung around to take her to 
Fourchon as it was going to be raining all day.
I prayed that day on my way home,
thanked God for the life I am privileged to have
and that I was going home to a comfortable home
with my own washing machine. 
I payed it forward, still wish I could do more 
but I know I went home with a lesson learned.
Living a good life has been good to me.

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