I have lived over 6 decades. I have seen the best of times, and, what I thought were the worst of times. I am descended from a people who were once slaves, owned, sold, raped and beaten at will. A people who overcame the sickening violence and obscenity of those who thought they were less than animals, to be a successful people who, against all odds, have intergrated into a society that at one time would not even allow them a voice in matters that concerned them and their own. I have not only heard, but have sung the cry, "We have overcome."

And, for awhile, it seemd that we had, indeed, overcome the trials, the test, and the tribulations that had once beset our ancestors misfortunes back in the day. And yet, here we are again, that old enemy of ours, prejudice is back, live and and in living color. An insidious enemy of a nation that once cried, "liberty and justice for all," and now decries the very voice that once made promises of freedom, justice and equality. A voice, not necessarily a people, that says, "If you are not white, you are not right."

Was I living in a dream? Was it merely an illusion that we as a people had begun to accept each others differences, to accept the fact that we don't necessarily have to think the same, talk the same, have the same beliefs, or even feel the same to co-exist with each other. I don't necessarily have to believe what you believe, I simply have to accept the fact that you have a right to your beliefs, just as I have a right to my own. It doesn't make me more than you, nor does it make me less than you, it simply makes us individuals who are not carbon copies of each other. Isn't that what makes the world go round?

Have the last two years of my life simply been a dream that I cannot find a way to escape? I don't want hatred, I want acceptance. You don't necesarily have to love me, you don't even have to like me, simply attempt to understand me, just as I will try to understand you, your likes, your differences, and your choices.

We live in a strange world, and it takes all of us to make it work. Let's try to work together, despite the voices that cry out for division, we are stronger together than we will ever be divided. How do we do that? I don't have the answers, but if we come together as a whole, we cannot be defeated in our determination to make the world better for those who follow us.

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You were the epitome of womanhood. You loved beyond distraction. Once given, your love could never be revoked. You taught that same kind of love to all of those who knew you. Race, creed, or color, tall, or short, rich or poor, did not matter. Good or bad did not matter, you loved in spite of, not simply because of.

You asked for nothing, and yet you gave everything. You taught compassion understanding, tolerance, respect, justice, and yes, evn that it makes us greater, at times, to simply walk away from ignorance, than to stand and attempt to correct, justify, or match it. It is, after all, as you have said on so many occasions, , “If there are two of you screaming and shouting at each other, how is the innocent passerby to determine which of you is the fool?”

This, of course, didn’t make sense to me, as a child. However, I fully comprehend what you were saying, now. Sometimes its just smarter to walk away. We should never become that which we despise, simply to confront, or bring attention to it. There are other ways, and I thank you so very much for the wisdom that you have given. me to know when the time to walk away is at hand.

I thank you for the love you have shown me, and countless others. I thank you for teaching us that simply because we don’t understand something, doesn’t make it wrong, it simply means we need to educate ourselves on the matter. I love your ability to see both sides of any situation. It has challenged me, more often than I care to admit. There were so many times that you should have given up on me, but didn’t, thank you for that.

Your quiet dignity, you ability to smile, even when I knew your were hurting, gives me the courage to go on, even though, at times it seems as if my world has been turned on its axis. It is at these times that I remember you the most. I remember your quiet spirit, your soft vocie, and gentle touch. Sometimes it seems as if your presence with me is palpable, so much if fact that I think that I can reach out and touch you. But that is no longer my reality.

You were my mother, my friend, my biggest fan. I will always love you. You were the woman that I strive to become. I am not yet there, but every day that I live is a new opportunity to accomplish that goal. Thank you for simply being you.