I met a young woman here in Orlando recently. I don't know her very well, we've only spoken a few times. She's very quiet...unlike me. We spoke for a few minutes at length the other night and I found out she was working two jobs and seeking a third one. I could tell she had a lot on her mind. I asked if she had any kids? She has four. I asked if she was married? She is. She was worried about making her rent that month and was in jeopardy of losing her home. I asked if the husband was helping her? He wasn't. She quietly said she had asked him to leave, and seek help for his anger issues.
Long story short, he'd become abusive. Her older son is scared to be around him, after being hit by the coward. She told me she supposed she would have to go to the battered womens' shelter that night because she didn't have enough money to pay her rent.
I told her to wait just one more day and got her contact information, telling her I may be able to find her some help and would get back in touch with her.
That story broke my heart...and really ticked me off. To be abusive to your wife is bad enough but to pick on a child...your own child is beyond horrendous and more than cowardly.
I thought about it all night. I knew I didn't have enough money to give her for rent, having just paid my own car note and cell phone bill.
This young woman needed some help and needed it quickly. She was doing her best and had kicked the loser out, taking herself and her kids out of harms way.
After wracking my brain, I made the only phone call I could think of the very next day.
I called my brother and told him Tim and I had both decided what we wanted from him for Christmas this year if he felt like shopping early. He said he would be more than happy to have some ideas from us.
I told him this young womans' story and asked if he could help her pay the rent as a present to us both.
Of course he didn't hesitate for one second, immediately saying yes. Massey went by his office for me and picked up his check while I got ready for work. I called my new friend and asked if she could come by where I worked to pick up a check that night. She said she didn't get off work until late but certainly could if I'd still be there.
She was flat out flabbergasted. She thanked me over and over again, saying she couldn't believe how someone had agreed to help her after only recently meeting.
It is the best Christmas present my brother has ever given us and certainly the best present this young woman ever expected to get.
I did a little investigation work of my own before asking my brother for this gift, just to be safe since I was asking for such a huge favor.
I've always been a pretty good judge of character and turned out my instincts were indeed right.
All this did really, was give her a little breathing room and some time to regroup. Sometimes that's all it takes.
Her landlord couldn't believe it when she called the next day to say she had his rent money, in its entirety. He asked how she had managed that?
She told him, "because I was blessed."
You know, as bad as it got for me and Tim at times...was nothing in comparison to what this woman is going through. Tim has never raised a hand to me and certainly never to any of our kids. We worked through it together, as a team and as parents. Yes we argued and sometimes pointed fingers but was always in frustration rather than anger or violence.
On a side note...I have come up the bomb of all presents for my brother this Christmas. He's not easy to buy for but certainly deserves more than a shirt or golf balls this year.
My new friend called me to say she slept easy and peacefully that night for the first time in a long long time.
Of course you know me...the writer.
When I gave her the check I also gave her one of my nicer note cards with a pre stamped envelope and asked her to please write my brother a thank you note and would be all the thanks necessary.
Without our many blessings from God, family, friends and yes even complete strangers...Tim and I wouldn't be where are are today, and I will be forever grateful to and for them.
My next call will be to my sister, who has worked for and with battered women for years. She can tell me how to best help get this woman as much help as we possibly can.
All it takes... is to step out of your own comfortable life for a moment, realize how blessed you truly are and do whatever you can to pay those blessings forward.
Till next time...COTTON
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