Another miracle involving Sloane

Months ago, when my high school pal, Billy and

his dear wife, CC, lost their young daughter Sloane.

I blogged with their permission of the pain they were left with 

and yet, how it was just a tad easier because she left them a 

baby son. When Billy called me last week to say he and CC had

finally been granted full custody of her child, it was 

a happy moment, they were ecstatic as the daddy

who was living with Sloane at the time of her death

had made some bad decisions and found himself in jail

with no time to be a part of Bryson's life.

The story could have ended there and it would have

been a sweet ending, yet it did not and another miracle took

place in reference to this sweet baby and his mother.

A few months after Sloane was buried and Billy and CC

found themselves relearning how to be a parent,

they were approached by another couple.

The other couple spoke of how they did not want

to cause Sloane's parents any more pain

but they had reason to believe that baby Bryson

may be their grandson also.

It seems that Sloane and their son dated for a few months

while she and the man she was living with when she died,

had broke up. Because Bryson had been born a few weeks early 

than her due date, there was a chance that this other young

man may have been his father.

Billy and CC were excited about this.

They knew that although Sloane and he had broken up,

Sloane had gone back to the man who was not the best for her,

that she had loved this other boy.

His parents believed the baby looked just like their own son.

A Paternity test was done and last week, the results were in.

Billy called to say that in fact, the other young man

was Bryson's father. He was relieved as this other family

was a wonderful one, would be a part of Bryson's life

and unlike the other people who believed they were the

paternal side of his life, this family would be positive

roll models in his life.

Okay again, the story could end there, but

the added touch, the part that makes this ending even

more special for the other set of grandparents,

they lost their dear son, Bryson's father two days

after B was born!

Now they have a piece of their son in Bryson

and can be a part of his life, almost like

the knowledge of knowing their son still lives

in the heart and soul of this wonderful little boy.

Billy and CC are wonderful people, wonderful grandparents,

as Billy shares with me that they now know they

will be allowing these grandparents be a part of Bryson's life.

An amazing story, isn't it.

Nothing can bring these parents children back but

having Bryson is having a slice of Heaven right in his soul!

service at the Plaquemine Burger King

Because we lived right behind the Cut Off

Burger King years ago, because the place

is just a little further down the road from those

golden arches, we rarely go to Burger King.

Coming home on Sunday, HOBL asks me to 

get him a burger for supper. I decided it was time

to rekindle a love for BK.

So glad I did. There was very little business there at the

time I went so waiting at the drive up was short lived.

I place my order and am very impressed with the 

voice at the other end of the speaker and had

decided when I moved up to pay, I was going to 

thank him for being so polite.

He beat me to it.

At the pay window was the cutest young black male

Be still my heart, I am an old lady but this

young man was beautiful.

Before I could lay on my compliment he beat me to it.

"Thank you, Ma'am for being so polite while ordering."

Now this is not something I normally hear at a fast food

drive up window. So I tell him,

"Thank you for also being polite and very cute"

He smiles and is even cuter, not in the least embarrassed

by my comment. I then decide at the next window,

I will ask for the manager and brag about this 

most special employee.

As I wait and before I can ask for the manager,

another cutie patootie boy hands me an

ice cream and before I can even say I didn't order that.

"Here is a treat for being such a nice customer"

Really??? Am I really at the Burger King???

I ask if he is the manager and he shares that he 

most certainly is. I brag on his employee, I brag

on him. I jokingly tell him now I am going

to put on some fat and he just smiles,

I am also smiling, smiling big

as this type of service, which should be the norm,

is rarely seen. I am happy when I live,

I am content.

I will be visiting the Burger King more often.

I am Honored, I am Humbled

If you are fortunate, you will know how it feels to be honored,

to be humbled.

hon~or: a showing of unusual merited respect:

Hum~ble: reflecting, expressing, or offered in a 

spirit of deference (respect due to a superior of elder)

I try really hard yet always enjoy, to spend time

with the kiddies in my life.

Those who are friends children,

those who are related,

those who call me Nannie.

As I have often said here and to many,

I plan on leaving a legacy behind me when I say

goodbye to this world. Have said that many times.

However, through a lifetime, many may not know

just how important they may be to someone until they are gone.

I want to change that in my life. I also hope,

that in doing so, others may

do the same. I want to try and have others express

what makes those they love special to them.

There are those days that are spent alone, not feeling so

hot and I wonder if I am doing enough for others,

if I am letting them know how special they all are to me.

So it was so special, on Saturday night, as myself,

my sisters and many of my nieces and nephew, sat

in the Cut Off Youth center there to support our beautiful

Tedi-girl in a pageant she was in.

It was especially special for me as our beautiful girl

walked across the stage, posed for the judges, to hear

in her bio that the one person who inspires her, who she

admires is her Nannie, Lilly Riera.

She did not know I was going to be there as I surprised her

with my visit, the surprise was mine to be had.

I am brought to tears as I hear my name mentioned

and that this child not only feels like I am her inspiration but

that she also knows just how important she is to me.

It solidifies feelings and I am honored, I am humbled,

I love so as to be loved.

Thanks, my dear Tedi-girl for such a special moment.

I hope you know how much I love you.

I leave this blog with wonderful thoughts for you 

as well as all those other children I love so much.

Continue to shine, continue to be the kind of girl you are,

continue to be the change you want to be in the world,

and always, always, always know you are a priceless treasure to me.

Love me some quotes.

I love quotes. 

Always have. 

When I was a teenager, it was not as easy as it is now,

there were no computers, no books written just filled with 

quotes. There are those that when you read them

you wish you had wrote it yourself.

There are those others that hit you like a ton of

bricks, talk to you the way you need to hear.

These are two of my favorites right now.

Wish I had written them myself for all 

the emotion, all the lessons learned in just a 

small paragraph.

The top one, Oh if we all could live by this.

Even me, at my 50 year old self,

When feelings and pain get it in the way of our relationships,

we forget the basic things that this quote teaches us.

and then there is that wonderful woman,

the one we all know as Mother Theresa.

The things she has taught us by her actions,

always giving, rarely receiving, 

I beleive she sits on the side of the Big Man

as no woman, in our lifetime shows us more, by her

actions and words, the way in which Our Father

 wants for us to all live.

Easily said than done, I can use my old line,

"When I grow up, I want to be just like her"

Mother Theresa, we all should strive to be more like her.

Making Amends, it's the only way to live.

 I am not perfect, far from it.

When I am angry or hurt, I can throw comments

that hurt others and regret it after it comes out my mouth.

Yet, when some time passes, I am usually very sorry for the

things I say and do and want to make it right,

want to apologize for my part in the problem.
I know that to hold grudges is to punish yourself.
I hate when I am not "okay" with everyone in my life.

"MAKE AMENDS EXCEPT WHEN TO DO SO WOULD INJURE

THEM OR OTHERS"

It is a motto from Alanon that I try and follow.

When Mommy died, she left us sisters all feeling different things

After her loss, we all suffered some growing pains

and some of us did things that we wish we could take back.

I believe that the dead has a way of communicating with us.

 A few weeks ago, still holding some pain and grudges,
because of an incident that happened, the sisters were separated.

I know that Mommy would be disappointed in her girls.

It weighed heavy on me and so I know all the sisters probably
were feeling the same way.

All our lives when we didn't get along, Mommy was

there to tell us to stop that silliness.

She never allowed us to stay mad at each other long.

Now she was not here to set us straight.

One of these days, I was out of the house for most of

the day. One of the little girls were with me as they 

were visiting for their summer visits.

Don't remember which one it was, but we had

been gone most of the day, having fun.

We came back home in the evening and there

on the floor, on the rug in front of my front door

was this picture, laying just like this  facing up,

no damage to the glass or frame. 

What is it? Well it is a family picture of my 

oldest sister Simones' wedding.

All seven kids are in it, and the age between us

all is evident here. 

Simone, the oldest is the bride, I am the little 

girl being held by my Mommy.

Twenty three years between us.

The fact that this picture is on the floor by my front door

is amazing.

You see, when I went to examine how the picture

may have gotten there, realizing it had to have fallen

from the top of the stairs where it lives,

I turned the picture over and find that all the prongs

that held it to the back portion of the frame are all

intact and closed. The hanging portion is still on the

wall.

 This means this picture had to have

fallen from the highest place on the stairs all the way

down, to land at my front door, face up

without a break to the glass.

 I pick it up, and place it back in its spot

I quietly think this through and have to take

it as a sign from the Mommy that amend are to be made.

I have thought of this every day since it happened,

This week, myself and the sisters, have all made

our amends to the others and once again,

we are sisters, loving each with all our 

"warts and all"
THERE IS NO LOVE WITHOUT FORGIVENESS
AND THERE IS NO FORGIVENESS WITHOUT LOVE

TO FORGIVE IS THE HIGHEST, MOST BEAUTIFUL
FORM OF LOVE. IN RETURN, YOU WILL RECEIVED UNTOLD
PEACE AND HAPPINESS.

Forgiveness is the best gift I can give,
the best gift I can get.
The Collins sisters, continue on!