Recently I was telling my story about how I was reading a journal that my Grgrgr Aunt wrote. She said over and over in her journal how lucky she was that she got the chance to be learned. It gives me chills to tell you this. What a remarkable woman she was. She was a mix of Black, White, and Native American. Her name was Martha Persinger. I loved reading her philosophy of life...she hated to hear people being mean to others because of their color. She was surprised how people were people no matter what their color. Some people are good and some are bad. Where ever she was...people often saw her as one of their own. Isn't that special? Sometimes she felt as though she belonged no where. What a lonely feeling. She always had her sister though.
Anyway, I was just struck by how empowering knowing how to read and write was and how it is today. Reading books can transform us. It takes us out of the ordinary and puts us somewhere, anywhere we would rather be. I am again finding myself offering up my humility to those that came before me to teach me. Those that took the time to stop for a minute and write down that their cat ran away, or the story of when they were lost in the woods. Thank you to all of of you! I enjoy the gift of reading so much, and seeing women in art with books in their laps tickles me to no end.
Women can do so much more. We can do anything, and it all starts with reading.
I feel very connected to what you said about your aunt.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful painting too.
Reading about their lives the way they wrote is so powerful. It is almost as though you are there with them having a cup of coffee and listening.
ReplyDeleteShe said several times how she loved her coffee, and when she visited one of her friends they had the best coffee she ever tasted. She says "I sure do love my coffee." Me Too!