I love Doretha Dillard Shipman. I love her children. I love her family. I love her home...which is anywhere she is...:)
Someone close to me hurt my feelings today. It was excruciating. I sat on the pain all day because I had bigger fish to fry. Long story short....tonight when I left the hospital, I headed home...I headed to Doretha. Over hot tea and ice cream (Uncle Odale gave me the idea) consisting of coke floats and banana splits, Doretha (& Wesley) gave me a safe zone to unburden my heart (no matter that it was past all of our bedtimes). I really don't know how she does it. She lets you vent and complain, and she makes you feel like you're not a bad person (whatever your feelings are), and that it will all be okay. She listens without judging you, and it is amazing. I felt guilty for being upset with the person, yet she made me believe it was okay...and that I was okay. How does she do that?
As I was leaving tonight, she reminded me that she had two broad shoulders that were mine to use anytime. She added that she could be mother, father, aunt, uncle, grandparent...whatever I needed her to be. Who does that? Seriously, who?
I worry a great deal about letting people down...friends, family, co-workers, customers, board members, etc...it is a weakness of mine. I am a worry wart. Sometimes I foolishly add her to that mix, and I am a FOOL for doing so. She is the only person that I really don't believe I could let down. Let me be clear...I mean let her down to the point that she would stop loving me. I could murder someone, and she would be the first to visit me in prison. I really believe that.
Now..she ain't no saint, but she is an angel. She is also more than I deserve, but I wouldn't give her back or trade her for anything. I spend a great deal of time just trying to keep up with her. :)
This month's posts have all been about things I love, and I have found it tremendously ironic that each day (like a gift) something I love has been glaringly obvious (like a neon sign). I love a lot of things. I love a lot of people. No one...NO one...has ever loved me as much or as well as Doretha has and does, and I would imagine that if you polled those that know her best, the majority would say the same. There are people in this world that are born to build businesses, play music, teach...I think Doretha was simply born to love. There is a great line in Eat, Pray, Love about sending out "love and light" to those who have hurt you or you have hurt. That is Doretha...sending out love and light wherever she goes, and the irony? I just realized that she said something like that tonight. :)
I have written this while listening to one of my favorite songs Never Alone. It reminds me of Doretha and how she loves...not just me, but everybody. Her love is powerful, and it is magical.
The lesson...all love is magic. If we focus on the love...everything else falls into place...
Hmmm....
If we could only teach THAT. Share THAT. Have a hearing on THAT.
I won't digress...;)
“To be fully seen by somebody, then, and be loved anyhow - this is a human offering that can border on miraculous.” ~ Elizabeth Gilbert
Sunshine Dreams to You ~ Today and Every Day! :)
