About two years, the children and I were at McDonald's during lunch while the kids played on the play place. I met the most delightful lady there. Her name was Virginia and she was the McDonald's custodian. It was a particularly windy day and the napkins and trash were blowing everywhere. I was in constant motion trying to race after cheeseburger wrappers and napkins! Sweet Virgina kept telling me to sit down and enjoy my children. She insisted that it was her job to throw away my trash. I was completely caught off guard. I mean, this was McDonald's...not Ruth's Chris. She was so precious and the more we talked the more I liked her. At the time, she had long gray and black dreadlocks with seashells at the end of each "lock". Her hair made an impression on me. I don't think I had ever seen an older lady with dread locks. And they were really pretty. She kept telling me to enjoy my children and enjoy these days with my children and to seek God's guidance in raising them. I'm not just saying this now...but at the time I really felt like our meeting was part of a bigger plan. I was in need of a housekeeper, so we exchanged phone numbers. She explained that she had just started working at McDonald's and that she was working there 40 hours a week, so she didn't think she would be calling me. She left such an impression on me that when M came home that afternoon, I told him about the lovely lady that I had met at McDonald's. Two or three weeks passed and I still had not heard from her, although she crossed my mind several times during that 2 to 3 week period. Finally, about a month later, she called and said she'd like to quit her McD's job. She started cleaning the house, but she was VERY slow. She's spend all day here, and we'd talk most of the time. She was very open and honest about her life and her past. Tears would flow easily as she talked about her children.
Virginia had lived in Chicago most of her adult life, where she had raised five children. Her children had the same father, but she never married him. He had been married to someone else all those years. The father was "way high up" in a drug ring in Chicago. About two years prior to Virginia's move to Alabama, one of the other rival drug rings in Chicago put out a "hit" on one Of Virgina's daughters. She was killed. Virgina decided at that time that she was going to follow her pastor to Alabama and try to start a new life. She knew that as long as she was in Chicago, her children would remain in Chicago and within the drug-ring. So she left and prayed that her family would follow. There was no other way out.
Shortly after Virgina and I became friends, she called crying one day and explained that one of her granddaughters, who was 19, had two little girls, ages 2 and 3. The little girls were left alone on July 4th and one of the neighbors found them in the street eating out of a garbage can. Apparently, the neighbor called Virginia's son, who in turn called Virginia. Virginia was devastated. She saved her money and flew to Chicago to get the children. Their mom gave the girls to Virginia, along with a cardboard box that had 2 pair of jeans and a denim jacket in it.
When Virginia returned to Alabama with those two girls, I fell in love immediately. You can see from the picture how adorable they are. And much sweeter than I had imagined. Virginia's prayer was that she would do better with her 3rd and 4th generations than she had with her 1st and 2nd.
To be continued...
Virginia had lived in Chicago most of her adult life, where she had raised five children. Her children had the same father, but she never married him. He had been married to someone else all those years. The father was "way high up" in a drug ring in Chicago. About two years prior to Virginia's move to Alabama, one of the other rival drug rings in Chicago put out a "hit" on one Of Virgina's daughters. She was killed. Virgina decided at that time that she was going to follow her pastor to Alabama and try to start a new life. She knew that as long as she was in Chicago, her children would remain in Chicago and within the drug-ring. So she left and prayed that her family would follow. There was no other way out.
Shortly after Virgina and I became friends, she called crying one day and explained that one of her granddaughters, who was 19, had two little girls, ages 2 and 3. The little girls were left alone on July 4th and one of the neighbors found them in the street eating out of a garbage can. Apparently, the neighbor called Virginia's son, who in turn called Virginia. Virginia was devastated. She saved her money and flew to Chicago to get the children. Their mom gave the girls to Virginia, along with a cardboard box that had 2 pair of jeans and a denim jacket in it.
When Virginia returned to Alabama with those two girls, I fell in love immediately. You can see from the picture how adorable they are. And much sweeter than I had imagined. Virginia's prayer was that she would do better with her 3rd and 4th generations than she had with her 1st and 2nd.
To be continued...
1 comment:
Oh!!! I have been wondering about Virginia, she has been on my mind lately.
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