I picked up a family from Kingdom Hall. As soon as I pulled into the parking lot, I had a random thought, “I am so glad that I always answer the door when Jehovah’s Witnesses ring my doorbell really early in the morning.” I have to admit that I used to see them outside putting their visiting strategy together and I would hide inside my apartment so that I did not have to stand there, barely awake, and try to listen out of respect as they asked me questions. I finally began to think that it could not be easy to knock on so many closed doors so I decided to open my door when they rang my doorbell. The thought left my head as quickly as it had entered. Once I arrived, I watched as the young man struggled to put the car seat into the back seat of my car. I joked, “You should get a degree for figuring those things out. “ We both laughed as he added, “…or at least a certificate.” Once everyone was inside my car, I turned and I smiled at the little girl sitting in the back seat; she just stared at me, without the slightest hint of a smile. I kept smiling, turned around and started to drive. Her mother tried to explain that she needed a nap and was probably grumpy because it had been a long afternoon. All of a sudden, I heard a small voice from the back seat demand, “I want to hear some music!” Her mother hardly waited for the end of the young girl’s command before she said in a melodic tone that almost sounded like she was singing, “What did I say about how to ask for things nicely?” The little girl, as if she already knew she had used the wrong tone, quickly corrected herself and asked in a sweeter, softer tone, “I want to hear some music, please.” I reached for the radio and a slight panic smacked me as I realized that most of the songs on the radio are…well…shall we say…for grown-ups. I was truly under a great deal of self-imposed pressure at this moment. I chose a country station to which the little girl abruptly replied, “I don’t like that!” Her mother must have looked at her because she added in a low whisper, Thank you!” I then chose a jazz station and she quickly said with a tone that sounded like she had a pout on her face, “That’s scary!” We all chuckled softly as I turned to another station where the song’s intro was beautiful, but I knew it was getting ready to change into a “not suitable for children” song so I quickly changed it. The father said, “That sounded like a nice song!” to which I replied, “It starts out nice, but it does not stay that way” and I giggled under my breath. It became my personal mission to find some appropriate music for this adorable girl before we reached their destination. Finally, as we pulled up to their street, Whitney Houston’s voice came rushing out of my speakers like a melodic wind that filled the car “Oh, I wanna dance with somebody…” When I stopped, I turned around, crossed my fingers, and asked, “Do you like this song?” Without the slightest smile, she nodded her head up and down as she began to kick the back of the front seat to keep time with the music (yeah, she was kicking my brand new seats). I ignored her kicks because I was so ecstatic that I had found a song that she liked. Then I started to sing to her. That is when I saw the little corners of her mouth make a slight turn upward almost as if it was against her will. “A smile, I finally got a tiny smile” I thought as I kept singing. By this time, she was nodding her head and kicking her feet in time with the music. I felt like clapping…wait, I did clap as I kept singing to her. Her father gently lifted her out of the car seat, but she looked back at me the whole time. My mission was complete and I knew she would not soon forget that ride. Feeling overjoyed, I drove down the street rocking my head from side to side, bouncing in my seat and singing through a huge smile, “Oh, I wanna dance with somebody…with somebody who loves me….”
Tag Archives: inner peace
Peace Is of Me
I walked along a private beach
That drifted to the sea
And watched the water pound the shore
As if in search of me.
My footsteps left a faded path
Impressed upon the sand,
That vanished in the watery grasp
Controlled by nature’s hand.
Each breath exhausted from my lips
Was taken by the breeze
That whirled in fury for my space
That it could never seize.
I tried to capture all the peace
That dwelled within this place,
So I could calm my inner soul
That did not have a trace…
© Poem and Photo by Teresa A. Pitts
Shaken But Not Broken
She hardly looked at me as she jumped into my car, slammed the door and said sharply, Go straight!” It took her one breath to tell me that as she kept talking on her phone. When I looked into the rear view mirror at her face, I instantly felt a sense of sadness. She was a beautiful girl, probably in her first year at UCLA. She had on brightly colored shorts and a summertime top with wavy blonde hair tossed carelessly over her shoulders. The weather was warm with a cool breeze and the campus was alive with people hurrying to get to their destinations.
I did not listen to her conversation, but the person on the other end of her conversation could not have been talking much as she rattled off a series of fast sentences drenched in a restrained panic. She paused long enough to bark another order, “Turn left here!” I continued to drive and I felt sorry for this young stranger. I wanted to tell her that it was going to be alright. I kept silent. The desire to tell her grew stronger and I dismissed it because she was on the phone talking, non-stop. When she released the call, I looked in the mirror at her face which looked like she had received the worst news. Her blue eyes probably sparkled when she smiled, but at this moment, they were sad…worried, and she looked out the window not seeing all the beauty that the day was dangling in front of her. Her voice softened as she said, “I am sorry, take a right here, please.” She must have suddenly become aware of the tone she was using to speak to me.
At the stop sign, I called her by name, “Amanda…” She did not hear me, too deep in the thoughts that had blinded her to her actions. She was on emotional auto-pilot. Again, I softly called her name, “Amanda…” When she looked at me, I looked her straight in her eyes and said, “It is going to be alright.” Our glance was constant as if, over her first response to doubt me, she was trying to see if I was telling the truth. I was not prepared for what happened next because her eyes instantly welled up with tears that rolled down her cheeks like they had been waiting for permission to fall. I clumsily grabbed a box of Kleenex from under my center dash and handed the box to her. She pulled several tissues out of the box and lowered her face into the soft pillow she had created in her hands. As soon as she dried her face, more tears fell and she told me that all of her classes had been dropped and she was devastated. It was her first year at UCLA and now she had to maneuver through life’s obstacles without the immediate cloak of directional protection from her mom and dad who usually stepped in to smooth things out for her.
She was going to the class to plead with the instructor to add her into the class. I told her that it was all going to work out for her, but that she had to believe that. I told her she was given this obstacle to make her stronger, even if it seemed unfair. “You will understand this challenge later, but for now. Go to the class and calmly talk to the professor. I graduated from here in 2012 and I can tell you that instructors add you when they say they are not adding anymore students and they make a way for you when you are sure they will not, but you have to ask them. If you have the time, splash some cold water on your face before you go to class. You are going to be fine, Amanda. Try not to worry too much.” She smiled at me and it was like the sun pushed past stormy clouds to change the look of the day. Her face changed, “Thank you so much, Teresa, you can just let me out at the corner,” she said in a tone that suggested she thought she had taken too much of my time. I smiled and took her right up to the building’s entrance. She thanked me again through a vulnerable smile as she hopped out of my car and ran up the stairs. I hope she remembers what I told her. She is going to be alright.
A Young Man’s Jacket
I went to Oki’s Dog to get some fries because that was all I could afford. While standing inside, I could see a young man outside putting on his jacket in the rain. The young lady behind the counter said, “That man is really nice!” I was curious so I said, “What did he do?” She then smiled and said, “He gave his jacket to the guy standing in the rain.” Just as I started to smile, the young man ordered food for the man to whom he had given his coat. I thought to myself, this is the kind of person I want in my life, someone who is compassionate and in touch with humanity. I walked around to the outside counter and as I got to where he was, he had walked away. I stood there silent and disappointed when suddenly he turned around and smiled at me. I said, “I wished you back to me.” He walked over and I said. “You did a beautiful thing just now and I would be honored to be your friend. Here is my card so we can keep in touch.” He told me that he saw that the man was cold and looked hungry so he gave him his jacket and bought him some food. The interesting thing is, the man to whom he had lent his jacket, protested the offer of food, but the young man insisted and bought him a special. I smiled and told him that I am just like him. Remember, it doesn’t take much to be a blessing to someone. When he sends me a friend request, that will be my blessing.
An Obedient Heart
I had decided to go to the 6:00 a.m. service at Faithful Central Bible Church today, but when I woke up at 5:00 a.m., it was raining, cold and dark and I was still tired so I set my alarm clock for a later time so I could go to the 10:00 a.m. service. On my way to the church, I saw a guy running down La Brea Avenue with his hand in the air as if he was trying to hail a taxi. It was not a taxi, but the bus which moved away from him to the middle lane and kept on moving down the street. I felt that I should give him a ride and I was not worried about being late for church because of it. I turned around and pulled up on his side of the street. I asked him if he was trying to catch the bus and he said, “Yes.” I asked him if I could take him to his destination. He saw the Uber sticker in my window and said, “Are you Uber?” I told him that I was not working and could give him a ride without charging him. He smiled and got into my car. He asked me where I was going and I told him, “I am going to Faithful Central.” I then asked him where he was going and he replied, “The same place.” We both laughed and rode on down the street, talking and laughing. When we arrived, he pulled out $10 and before he could hand it to me, I said, “I can’t take that, just do something nice for someone else, that is how I do it.” He asked, “Is that what you want me to do?” and I said, “Yes, that is how I do it.” He said, “OK and I want you to take this money. That’s how I do it.” I chuckled and accepted his money. We were walking through the parking lot to the church when he stopped and said, “Oh no, I think I left my phone in your car and then he apologized profusely while we were walking back to the car. I kept telling him not to worry because I needed the exercise. We both laughed. He got his phone and we walked back and entered the church with the choir and congregation singing. As I went to my seat, I was grateful that I was in the right place at the right time. May that continue to happen. As for the $10, I am going to get ten single dollar bills and keep them in the door pocket so that when I drive pass people on the street who are asking for money, I don’t have to fumble around in my bag and miss the opportunity to give them their dollar.
When You Understand Who You Are
When you know who you are and why you were put here on this earth, a source of inner peace takes over. You find happiness in the knowledge that you are here for a purpose and knowing what that purpose is makes you feel better about yourself and inspires you to believe in the phenomenal things you are capable of doing. You begin to believe in the impossible being elevated to the possible and you start to understand that a lot of what we can do lies in our ability to use our strengths and weaknesses as our paths to higher learning and valuable lessons. When we go through challenges, we learn that we should use our trials as a foundation for our triumphs and not let them become catalysts for our failure. When you truly understand who you are, there is power there and with personal power, you can do anything.
T.A.P. into the Possibilities 