Mercy, Mercy Me

Hi there! It's been a while since I've posted anything on the romantic tip, but today I have a little something for you. simply beautiful is simply enjoying some attention from the opposite sex. On last evening, a young man decided to flirt with me--openly. WoW. From previous posts, you might know that he's been flirting for a while, just not so openly. Anyway, as you know, I am single, and the mother of a bright, handsome, 2nd year college freshman. He is my only child--my Pride and Joy. ( I'll introduce him later) But for now, on to my experience. I went to an Easter celebration on last evening and had a very nice time, I might add. Usually my son and I sit together, but because he was with his group of friends, I sat a few rows behind him. You see, he doesn't want me to be too 'clingy'. So this young man took advantage of the open seat beside me and sat down before the event started. Then he turned on his 'charm' and flirted with me--my son didn't like it one bit, but he was gentleman enough not to let it show. Anyway, the young man moved before the event started. (he moved, but not far) So, since the seat was now open again, my son decided he needed to sit beside me. No, not just beside me--almost on top of me, throwing his arm around me and even saying that I was 'taken'. Now you know--as flattered as I was by all of this attention to little ole me, at the same time I was annoyed. First of all "Baby Boy", mom can take care of herself. I appreciate the fact that you don't want just anybody coming up to your mom, coming on to your mom, or treating mom just any old kind of way! Much obliged to you, son. Good looking out! But mom deserves to have some fun. I like to flirt--especially with one as good-looking as this guy. Yeah...he's got some quirks, but quirks are cute. Second of all, "Baby Boy", it's nice to know you're here if I need you--but I DON'T NEED U RIGHT NOW!! Disappear for a minute or two--let mom get her 'grown folk' on. ( Keep it clean, now...remember I have a vow of celibacy--I ain't getting the "grown married folk" on--just the 'grown folk'!! LOL!!) And third "Baby Boy", Mom loves you and always will. No matter who comes into my life, no matter what happens, my love for you does not change. The only change in fact, is that my love for you grows from day-to-day. Ain't nothing or nobody gonna be able to change that. TRUST!
In closing "Baby Boy", know this-- there's plenty of room for me to love you fully and fully love someone else too.

simply beautiful
.

Black Love at its Finest

Hey Y'all. What's the what? I just read a headline about the media's take on Black Love. In particular, the media is 'flabbergasted' by the fact that the President and First Lady actually love each other and have a good marriage. Imagine. Who would've thunk that black folk actually have relationships based upon mutual love, trust, honesty, and respect? The headline leads me to think that the media believes all black folk do is cuss, cut, and kill each other. Can't we all just get along?

Yes, statistics show that the black family is in trouble. Statistics also show that single black women are heads of household and raising children alone, more than any other race. 70 percent of African-American families are headed by a single woman, either never married or divorced. I know. I'm one of them. I chose to stay single and pregnant over being miserably married.

But, in my world, I feel the norm for the African-American community is to be married with kids. How could the media miss that? As I was growing up, I knew many married couples; happy, loving couples and raising happy, loving families--like The Jacksons, The Chandlers, The Thompsons...not to mention my Grand-parents, and my Great-Uncles and Aunts. Granted, the difference may be that my parents generation and those before them married, and stayed married. But the generations that followed either never married, or married, divorced, and remarried or remained single. But, even that is not the point.

The point is that African-Americans are looked upon as being different. We have always been ostracized and patronized and all other -ized in between... What I'm getting at is that America and the rest of the world thinks that black folks do not respect the institution of marriage nor uphold the family and family values. Truth be told, I believe family values originated in the black community. I know black men who love and respect their wives, who support and nurture their children, and are involved in their communities. Not all black men are walking around with their pants hanging low, involved in drug dealing, gambling or other illegal activities. I know hard working men, at General Motors, at Sealy Mattress, at McDonalds and Church's Chicken even. Military men, Men who pastor churches, mentor boys without fathers at home, and feed the hungry and homeless. Good, God-fearing men. They don't have a lot of money, but they love God, family and country.

And Black women. We always get the short end of the stick. We're not all Hottentot, child support seeking, gold-diggers looking for the next rap video in which to star. We work hard, too--loving our good Black men, raising children, biological or not--working at AT&T, Lockheed, Taco Bell or Popeye's chicken. We serve in the local church, mentor young girls, and volunteer to make our communities better. We are God-fearing women who respect our Black men as heads of household, protectors, and leaders. We may not have all that we want, but we sure know how to appreciate what we have.

A word to the media--PAY ATTENTION: Black woman speaking here. Stop looking at African-Americans as an uncouth race of people. We love each other--hard. Yes, as a people we have serious problems. But look at our history. We've always been a people who place God first, family next and job third. That's been our m.o. for hundreds of years now. And if you have need, which you must, here are some examples of loving Black couples--

Dr. and Mrs. Martin L. King, Jr.

Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee

David and Tamela Mann

and don't forget--Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz, Magic and Cookie Johnson, and of course Barack and Michelle Obama!! These couples exemplify Black Love at it's finest. And they are...

simply beautiful!!

A Poem about Love

Let him love the love in you
For love is what he's made to do
Let him love you through and through
He’ll be honest, kind, and true.

Let him be the love in you
a love so full a love so new
he'll love you to your very core
Today you are alone no more
Let love enter your heart’s door
With all respect, let him adore
And let him love you evermore.

Love him too until that day
That love and dreams just fly away.

Let him love as he longs to
For yes, his love is meant for you
A love so strong for just you two
Love so mighty, love so true
His Love is tender, and so sweet
Love intertwined as two hearts beat
So easy, yes and so complete,
So full of passion, so full of heat.

Let him love the love in you
He lives just for your love, it's true
For love in him, and love in you
belongs to Him, belongs to you
To honor, keep and cherish too
'Cause love in him is what's in you
Until the day your days are through.

Let love have it's proper time.
For I am his and he is mine.
the love between us genuine.
Until the very end of time.
Let him love the love in me,
Love is what it's meant to be.
Let's love until the very day,
Life's heartaches and pains just fly away.
Love until our days are through,
For love in me is love in you,
For loving me is loving you.

copyright 01/24/2009 ftw tx/simply beautiful
modified 04/15/2009 simply beautiful
.

MLK Day 2009 excerpt from "The Drum Major Instinct"

I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others. (Yes)
I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody.
I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question. (Amen)
I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry. (Yes)
And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked. (Yes)
I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison. (Lord)
I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity. (Yes)
Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. (Amen) Say that I was a drum major for peace. (Yes) I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. (Yes) I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. (Amen) And that's all I want to say.

http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/publications/sermons/680204.000_Drum_Major_Instinct.html

Old skool luv

You get to see inside of me...once again. One of my favorite poems written by me. My inspiration was 5-6 of my favorite Christian couples. They are friends, lovers, partners in marriage, and in life. What's so great about these couples is the fact that I know them personally. They are my grandparents, two of my Great Uncles and their wives, and 4 couples at church. They give me hope, as a single person from parents that have a jacked up marriage, that there is such a thing as a good marriage. Not a perfect marriage, but one in which they love God, love each other, complement one another, have mutual respect for one another, and share a special friendship. You see, when I get with Mr. Right Man, this what I aspire to have in our relationship. This is my prayer letter to God.

God?!
Are you listenin'?!!
I want an old skool luv!
You know, that Ruth and Boaz
Kind of love
A Love for real. You know the kind?
It's Genuine,
Long-suffering, not discontent,
Not easily provoked, gives one hundred percent;
Bears all, believes all,
Hopes in all, endures and assures.

Are you listenin', God?!!
I want to love like Big Mamma and Big Daddy--
From sun up to sun down;
Like my Uncle Herman and Aunt Grace
A love that just abounds.
I want to love from see to can't see;
Like my Uncle Melvin and Aunt Ethel
Now that's how love's supposed to be.
I want a GREAT BIG LOVE
like Brother and Sister Bonner,
All syrupy and sweet;
A love so strong that it knocks you off your feet
A love so good-- like buscuits and gravy
A love that grows fast as a newborn baby

That old skool love, like the notes we used to pass..
I love you. Do you love me. Check yes or no
That true kind of love, and all that jazz…

I want that fussing this morning, loving this evening kinda love.
That baby forgive me cuz I was wrong and you wasn’t right either,
But put the blame on me anyway kinda love.
That babymaking love
That just because love
That 24 hours 7 days a week love
Ya Know-- that sweet,
Sunday afternoon
kinda love.

My God, Are you listenin'?!
I want an Old Skool Luv.

copyright 27March 2008 fort worth TX
Sunday 21Dec2008 -modified for seeinsideofme...simply beautiful

My Big Mama in Me

This post is dedicated to my 'Big Mama'. For those not familiar with the term, I'm speaking of my grandmother. She happens to be my paternal grandma, or in everyday terms, my daddy's mama. In honor of the anniversary of her birthday, I'm going to take some time to remember her in the way that only I can. You see, I never got to see Big Mama through 'grown up eyes'. What I mean is, all of my memories of her are during my childhood. I was 17 years-old when Big Mama went home to be with the Lord. But, the many memories I have are filled with her warmth, strength, and joy, all made from scratch like her hot buttered biscuits. LOL.
I'd like to think that I am very much like her; a charming, graceful woman with a ready smile. She was a woman of character, she believed right was right, wrong was wrong. She was a woman with a deep, quiet strength. She had a sense of centeredness. She loved her God and loved her family. She was a predictable, yet mysterious woman. But, you knew who she was because her personality never changed. She always treated you with dignity and respect, no matter your age, race, or gender. Her level of respect would never change. She could be so serious at times. When there was work to be done, she meant for you to get to it--no dawdling, no excuses. But when the work was through, then you would see the side of her that was playful and free.
She had certain air about her, and a certain flair that was right there on the very 'tip of your tongue', but you just couldn't quite figure out. It's like she was so charming that she could always stay one step ahead of you, never allowing you to catch up, but you were allowed to follow as if she were the pied piper. She exuded confidence and self-assuredness. She had a proud walk. I'm told I have it, too. She would walk like she had the biggest, juiciest secret stored right there in her bosom. And, if you'd only be good, on your bestest of behavior, she'd take that secret, split it two, dress it up with honey and butter and share it with you--each and every delightful bite.
She loved life and loved to laugh. She enjoyed good conversation, as well reading and journaling. (Looks like she passed it on, huh?) She was especially fond of current events and history. She loved the arts--music, poetry, recitations and plays. She knew the value of a good education. She knew that ed ucating oneself, whether through public or private school systems, college or university, or self-educating through the reading of books, magazines, news and other publications, would bring personal satisfaction, fulfillment and hopefully a good paying job!

One of my favorite memories as a child occurred when I was about 6 or 7 years old. My older brother and I would spend a couple of weeks or so during the summer with Big Mama and Big Daddy in the country. We would take long walks down their dirt road, or go visit the 'hog pen', or just play in all of that red sand. Sometimes we'd go up the dirt road to visit with great- Aunt Juanita and great-Uncle Buck. But one particular day, we stayed inside and listened to records. For you youngsters, that's like a CD, except it played on a phonograph/record player and oftentimes there was only one song on each side. Well, Big Mama was feeling pretty playful. She came in from the kitchen and reached up on top of the shelf and pulled down a record. She put in on the phonograph player, then reached up again and brought down a wig. She put the wig on her head and started the phonograph player. It was 'Proud Mary' by Ike and Tina Turner. You know, " rolling....rolling....rolling on the river...." Big Mama began to lipsync with the song...not only that, but she moved her hips in rhythm with the music. She even swung her head around like the Ikettes, on the instrumental part (being careful not to lose her wig, of course!) Ohmygoodness! We rolled! My conservative, Christian, laid-back, easy going grandmother was lipsyncing, dancing and head swinging to 'Proud Mary'! If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I never would have believed it!
That day I saw a different side of Big Mama--and I liked it very much. I found that she had a fun, playful side. I'd only seen the Big Mama that made sure all the chores were done. This Big Mama was spontaneous, hilarious, and a pretty good lipsyncer and dancer! LOL
Just one last thing about my Big Mama. I'd always felt a 'strange' closeness with her. I say "strange" not meaning weird, but meaning unusual. It was not only a physical closeness we shared, because she loved her hugs and kisses, but she and I shared a mental closeness. You see, even as a child, I could be serious and then suddenly whimsical. I could be studious and curious, and in the very next vain, be nonchalant and carefree. Big Mama, it seemed, KNEW me. She understood what made me tick. She knew my likes and dislikes. She knew that I was a good child, one who would not need constant watching, but who would need stern instruction. She knew all about me and accepted every fiber. She knew I'd love to read and write when I got older. She knew I was a little tomboy at heart, loving to run and play in the dirt. She also knew as a child that I couldn't sta-a-a-and to keep shoes on my feet! ( and still can't as an adult! smile)
How did she know all of this about me? Is it because she saw herself in me? Perhaps she saw herself in the way I walk, or heard herself in the way I talk, or even perhaps caught a glimpse of me making one of her facial expressions? Whatever it was that she saw or heard, she let me know she loved me for me, and willingly embraced me.
Even though she's been gone for a time, I can still feel her love--I feel her warmth---I feel her care and acceptance. How? Well, it's right here. (sound affect: tapping on glass) When I look in the mirror, I can't help but to see--- my Big Mama in me.

Happy Birthday, Big Mama!

I love you!

November 8, 1921- December 28, 1981.

( P.S. Please forgive me for being late. I experienced technical difficulties. Laptops are nice when you can get them to charge.)