My friend, Billie Marie Weaver, essentially wrote most this post. I wish my readership was in the millions so they could read her wisdom, feel the gentle pulse of her words.

I burst into smiles when she suggested I edit some of her punctuation, which I have done, but kept every precious word she wrote. Billie's words are timeless - her heart so beautifully expressed. I thank her for allowing me the honor to share her brilliance, the glow of her truth and integrity that I wish the whole world radiated.

She wrote this following the massacre in South Carolina on June 17th.






Billie Marie Weaver


One of the best women I have ever known is Ollie Mae Byrd Kelly. She is a black beauty. The first time I saw her she was sitting on the floor in the old house I grew up in, cleaning fish, surrounded by 7 young children. All hers - the two youngest twins. Her hair was in a French twist so popular in the late 50ies. She wore a pretty sleeveless dress and looked like an African princess ready to go most anywhere. For her it would have been a Winn Dixie grocery store - where else would one go who has 7 children, but to a grocery store? Instead of going shopping she was sitting on the floor cleaning fish... a yuck job. I remember my mama trying to clean fish in that same kitchen. Mama had scales on the walls and a few on the ceiling. Mama swore off fish cleaning even outdoors for the rest of her life. Really! Mama could do everything, but never touched another fish with its scales on. However, Ollie could clean fish onto newspapers covering the floor and not even get scales on her kids who were her audience. Think fish cleaning is a genetic thing!

She and I are nearly the same age, think she is a few years younger, for her sake I hope so. She rented mom and dad's old house for several years and cleaned house for mama and for me plus other peoples and took care of her children. She rode the bus to and from most of her jobs. Got home late to cook for her family and clean her own place.

Me being me, and believing myself to be a good person, thought I treated Ollie well. Guess mainly that is so... but not good enough. On my best day I will never be the person Ollie Kelly is and always has been. I am thankful that we lived long enough for me to tell her this... she laughed - not because it was funny, but because she knew me well enough to know it was the truth. I liked that. You know how it is when your mother finds out your latest teenage 'mistake' and then she lets you know she has known for weeks... she is not surprised - so your mother smiles a knowing smile as you own up to your mistake. Same thing with Ollie's soft laughter.

All of us who honestly believe we have no prejudices lie to ourselves. If fortunate we wake up and smile at our stupidity and changes our thinking. Not all prejudices are saved up just for black people. We can truly believe we are better than our neighbors who might not be as well off, cleaned up, dressed up as we are. We want to be with people just like us - or like we pretend to be.

The day after my children's father's funeral I was sitting in my living room thinking how badly the house needed cleaning and not wanting to touch it. Just kept sitting and looking at the mess and thinking about it instead of doing something about it... this has been my life's M.O... stare into space hoping things will clean, change, or heal themselves on their own.

About an hour or 3 passed and I looked out my front door and here comes Ollie in her cleaning clothes to do up my house. She rode a bus for an hour to get to my place then cleaned it for free, because she knew I was in a sit and stare stage. Ollie saved my sanity one more day. I got off my butt and we cleaned up the aftermath of illness and funeral preparations. I know she did this as much to honor my late husband as she did it for me. She loved us - can you believe it!

My family and Ollie's family have been through many rough times together and she always did them with such grace. I will never be Ollie, but I do so honor and love her.

I wonder what she is doing and thinking tonight...

I know she remembers my mama and daddy for all their goodness and realizes they were black inside if white outside.


*****


Before closing, Billy is so much more than these significant words she wrote. She and her husband, Don, have dedicated their lives to building and working toward sustainability of an orphanage and school in India that provides refuge and food and clothing and education and love for hundreds of children.

Brinkley School & Orphanage


As always, thanks for stopping by. Love.