Man-made Miracles!

Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law Rita for all the joy she brings into my life every day!

And happy Birthday to my best friend in the world, Ms. Ruby!

Now tonight I want to talk about miracles.... man-made miracles, if you will. There are some people on this earth that you just know have the finger of God on them. Let me explain, I was leaving an extremely unhappy marriage and I had no place to turn. I knew I couldn't really run away. I didn't want to be in the street, but I couldn't bare to stay either. I felt that to stay would be detrimental to myself and to my daughter... the relationship was that bad.

I had this friend, Ms. Ruby. Ms. Ruby had lost her husband, had 3 kids, no income and she was in foreclosure. Do you know that she brought her own car to move me and allowed us to stay in her home? Never mind the added expense or inconvenience. Never mind the bills piling on her head or the stress that adding 2 people into a mix like that would create. She took us in, no questions asked. She gave us shelter, food and helped us learn our way in the world. She taught us so many things, how to pay bills by phone and how to balance our priorities. She is the best friend I have ever had, because for the most part she taught me to finally see the strength of a woman. She is an angel of mercy and that is one debt I could never repay.

Now on to Rita. She is silly and has a twisted sense of humor. (NO REALLY! IT'S WORSE THEN MINE!) She is loving to a fault. She is brilliant and so good at so many things. Those are the nice things we say about people on their birthdays isn't it? So let me get to the truth of it.... the real deal.

When I am broken and lonely and I feel like the world just doesn't give a rat's ass... Rita will stay on the phone with me until I feel better... always! That's a loyalty that most people lack. That's yet another example of “touched by God,” And it is yet another example of a debt that can never be repaid.

Listen, if you want to be an angel on earth... not like me... but a real angel on earth... it is not so difficult to make a difference. The people who make a real difference don't usually think about it much. They just do “the next right thing.” In truth it is a pretty simple matter to pick up the phone and check on someone who's feeling down. It is a simple matter to say, “I will be decent to other people and extend my hand to those in critical situations.” Now perhaps you can't open your home like Ms. Ruby, I get that... but that is no reason to close your heart.

That's my side of it,

Angel