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January 22, 2002 - Mz. Maggie's Heart
Welcome to 2TheHeart!
"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of
respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof."
~Richard Bach
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Sandy's story shows us that it's never too late to let go of your
prejudices and it's never too late for learning...
"Mz. Maggie's Heart"
by Sandra Smith
I remember the first time I went to see her... I was scared to death. This was a rough neighborhood, they said, known for heavy drug traffic, that I should make sure I went there early in the mornings, and never be in there after 2 pm....And it was true, the first week I went out to Mz Maggie's, they found a young man's body around the corner from her house. A drug deal gone bad, they said. Shook me up, let me tell you. Little did I know, that day as I knocked on her door, my heart beating 100 times a minute, that this woman would have so much to do with the healing of MY heart... You see, I KNEW her heart was sick... but I sure didn't know mine was.
Being a child of the late sixties, and early seventies, I have always been proud to have been part of desegregation, believing that we are all flowers in God's garden, and that together, instead of
separate... the flowers, and therefore, the garden is all the more
beautiful for it... that's what my Grandmother, who was also "Maggie" taught me. I would have told you there wasn't a prejudiced bone in my body before that day, but I knew that was a lie, after visiting with Mz. Maggie a few times, I can't remember the exact visit, or even what day it was... but I can stand in that moment, right now in my mind.
The air cold and brisk on my face, even as the sun tried to warm me that morning, nothing else on my mind but getting out of there... when I stopped dead in my tracks after closing the door to Mz. Maggies, and knew without a shadow of a doubt, that I was just as predjucied as those people I swore I wasn't like, and that maybe THAT was the worst kind of prejudice there was... Blind Prejudice.
You see, I had let my fear of the neighborhood Mz. Maggie lived in
spill over to Mz. Maggie and her family and I realized it that day.
That's called 'God knocking some sense into you'... when they say "I saw the light"....you really do! He has a mighty powerful punch! On the long drive back to the office, I realized that basically ALL
prejudice is born out of fear and misunderstanding. Think about the word... Prejudge.....To prejudge someone for the color of their skin, or because of the neighborhood they live in, or what religion they are or how much money they have... none of that should have any bearing on how we treat each other. Oh... I did some tall praying for forgiveness on that drive back to the office. Next time I went to Mz. Maggie's I told her....... Now,let me tell you a little about Mz. Maggie. She had end stage Congestive Heart Failure - requiring continuous oxygen, and frequent IV injections of Lasix, a medication to help pull the fluid away from her heart, so she could breathe. She had numerous other medical problems as well, but while her body may have been debilitated, the Holy Spirit was in her heart. She was FUll of it, and it kept her alive far longer than most people in her shape without it would have lived. However, I must tell you that I will go to my grave believing that Mz. Maggie was an angel sent to me by God - and that God didn't take her home until she had taught me the lesson I needed to learn.
Those many, many days we sat talking about life and living - and how you should and shouldn't... what she had learned in her long life, and some of what I had so far learned in mine. Getting to know her and her family, feeling love and watching it grow in our relationship has been one of the greatest blessings in my life. She helped heal my sick heart, loving away a wall I didn't even know was around it.
Mz. Maggie... I will never forget you. I hope you're having bacon and blueberries everyday. I Love You.
Sandra Smith RN copyright 2001
homersgrl@home.com
I write to keep in touch with what I love, to validate it, to express
it, to share it. My job as a nurse for the past 25 years has been a
blessing in so many more ways than just the income... as I'm sure you can tell...
Sandra is a previous 2theheart Writer of the Month and is featured on our Writers Hall of Fame page! See her stories "Do You Know Who Your Child Is?" and "Makin' Buscuits" there!
http://www.2theheart.com/writers_hall_of_fame
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The Letter Box:
Susan,
Thanks for your story, "Guts on a Bull." The young man's courage is very inspiring! He reminds me of my friend's 21-year-old son who lost his entire leg and hip to cancer last year. Cale went to "Six Flags over Atlanta" with his friends and wouldn't even hear of using a wheelchair. He walked that entire hilly amusement park on his crutches - covering all ground - riding almost every ride in the
place. He was determined to accomplish that feat standing up - and he did it. It's that kind of courage that will help him as he
continues to face his ongoing battle with illness. I hope I can have a fraction of the courage shown by these young men as I face hurdles in my own life.
Karen DeLoach
dms4@frontiernet.net
http://karendeloach.tripod.com
Susan,
My heart was touched by your story today. I will take it with me as I help care for my patients and face the new challenges of the day. Thanks Susan. God Bless you with a glorious day!
Linda Ferris
lafrn10@aol.com
Susan,
I just wanted to tell Linda (lweems10@chartertn.net) that I tried
several times to send her a birthday card and her quota was full. I just wanted to let her know that she had wishes out there that she didn't get to see.
Thank you so much for 2theHeart. It is an inspiration to me. I
could just see the young man today in his struggle to just
be "normal" for a little while. May God bless you and your readers.
Janet Reynolds
reyn@shawneelink.net
susan,
I hope you have a wonderful birthday! There are 2 important bdays tomorrow: "my favorite editor" and my wife, sharon! it is a small world. Have a great birthday. as a "gift" I'm fowarding a story by an incedible 9 year old girl whose brother is in the unit of the hospital where I work after having a head injury.
take care, Mike Segal
msegalhope@aol.com
***Send Mike's wife a birthday ecard today! Happy Birthday Sharon!
Happy Birthday, Susan! I hope you and your family are blessed with a wonderful day and that the Lord blesses you all with many wonderful years to come.
The story, "Guts on a Bull" was poignant and very moving. The
strong desire for life and meaning of the young man who dared to leave his life support gear behind to challenge the mechanical bull was memorable. Your part in assisting him was beautifully told and
compassionate. The meanings you draw from the story are likewise
inspirational and compelling.
I think we all owe you a huge thank you for encouraging us to
use our life and talents in positive ways too. You spend so much of your life in labors of love which assist others in being the best
they can be. That is so very kind and memorable too!
Love and blessings,
meg (Mary-Ellen Grisham)
fantasy@apci.net
Dear Susan,
I loved your story of the courageous 'bull" rider. I am in awe of
his willingness to take a risk, and also of your ablility to write
such a touching story about it.
Happy Birthday!!
Love, Charlene
aunttoby@aol.com
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