Forgive me if this is scattered.. I have so many thoughts its like having 200+ cable channels & a constant clicker... It came to me @ 3am when I was up walking my dogs. Inspired by watching my 3 daughters, 3 goddaughters & 2 nieces interact... the friendship bond between the guys in Stephen Kings "Dreamweaver" and a myriad of other thoughts.
(I hear some one [Della Reese?] singing "Wont you come home Bill Bailey...")
It was my first day in a new school in athe south. I was wandering down the hall looking for my 3rd or 4th grade class when I bumped into a tall gangly girl who could have been my mirror image. We both dropped our books and apologized profusely. Come to find out she lived 3 houses up from me. We were both gangly, goofy, clumsy and held an inner sadness... Long story short - she became my best friend.. We rode bikes & skinned knees together... watched movies & walked dogs... we were a light to each other. Fast fwd about 2 years and I abruptly went back north. No packing, no goodbye, no nothing, just gone. I thought about my friend often but didn't remember her house# or phone#. I heard that shortly after I left she fell seriously ill & was hospitalized for an extended period.. I was told that her parents got my favorite teddy bear from my former gaurdian & gave it to her & she recovered. 21 years later I'm still looking for my friend. (Singing... wont u come home... Franka Bailey)
So... from that little excerpt u know I used to collect stuffed animals. Well.. up until a few years ago I still did. Teddy Precious bears to be exact. 13" seated stuffed bears that came in various shades and uniforms with a "TP" on a ribbon across their foot. My mom "inherited" them when I moved a few years ago because I didn't have room for them & my kids have asthma. I had well over 20 of them, maybe more - until a few weeks ago when a guest @ her house stole more than 1/2. :(
Those bears are a story in sisterhood. Honestly, I don't know who started the misconception that women (esp Black women) cannot be friends. True in my life the majority of my "friends" have been maile but as I've aged I learned that many of them had alterior motives and those that didn't byotched & gossiped just as much if not more than they claim we do. My first bear was Native American girl given to me for Christmas by my next door neighbor Nicole when I was 16. The next year it was the boy. I bought the biker bear and 3 others when in California on tour w/my a college gospel choir & my friend Elaine. I gave the ballerina to my Grandma after her stroke and replaced it plus found others on EBay. I had princesses, nurses, doctors and I'd have to find my inventory list to tell you the rest... Like my sisterfrienconfidants they ranged in color from white to deep mocha. Each Teddy Precious was unique and special to me...each of my sisterfriends is. I can probably count on two hands how many I have had in my life... So to my sisterfriends who have come, gone, remain & returned... Franka, Gillean, Khafilat, Nikki, Kasandi, Vicki, Laney, Toni, Maliza, Yah, Koko... To my new sisterfriendconfidants here on the various connect platforms... you are TP "TRULY PRECIOUS" and I love you unconditionally.
Namaste!
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Thursday, September 18th 2008 at 3:36PM
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