THINGS WE DIDN'T KNOW!

This blog is late in coming, but it is one of those that

when it happens it overwhelms you a bit and take time

to process it. This beautiful woman here,

a dear friend, closer now than ever, from school.

We went to Elementary through High school together.

We were never extremely close but I always thought

she was someone I could be friends with....

but I was a tad afraid of her back then.....

So, to begin the story.

A few weeks ago, she wanted to buy the piece,

Mother and child from me for a Momma who

had lost a child and was waiting for a "rainbow baby"  

(those lil babies that follow the one you lost).

That led to some text messages back and forth,

brought us to talking a little intimately

about our past and present.

This blog is about that, preceived notions we have of

someone and then we learn truths about the other.

For a moment, I was saddened of all the times

we probably could have enjoyed the company of 

the other but I was afraid of her. Then I find

her true story. 

You see, bullying existed way back when, even before

social media gave it a name. Our parent told us it was

teasing so we figured, "Hey part of growing up"

and we went on in our lives.

Polly was a bus-in from Grand Isle.

Which means each day she and the other GI kids took a bus

at whatever unGodly hour they had to, to get to

 school in Golden Meadow schools.

There was a childhood stigma around those children.

It was not right but honestly, it was there.

I was a happy- go-lucky child, I didn't think much of

what their lives consisted of, yet I knew most of them.

There were the two cute boys, a few others I didn't know

and their was Holly and Polly Pearson.

Polly and I were the same age and had classes together.

I admired her toughness, thought I could use some of that

being "teased/bullied" over being bald then having massive

curly hair. Where I found out in texting, Polly's ways was 

to be tough, I just laughed at it until I got home.

Not having social media, no one knew what my daily 

struggles were nor did they know Polly's.

Through my art, Polly and I have reconnected past just

being Facebook friends. As we texted about the "Mother and Child"

piece. The beauty in the blog is all in the texts we shared,

changed my outlook on things I believed as a child,

and just how off the mark is our assumptions.

Polly's texts are in Blue, mine in red:

...LOL I LOVE YOU POLLY!

BELIEVE IT OR NOT I AM A GOOD, SOFT HEARTED

PERSON. AND I KNOW WE COULD BE HANGING OUT BUDDIES...

THANKS MY LOVE, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS SAW 

THAT IN YOU...

MOST PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND ME THEY THINK

I AM DISTANT OR COLD.

AT WORK THEY THINK I AM A BITCH HAHAHA

CAUSE I WANT IT DONE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME LOL.

YOU KNOW I THINK WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP,

SO MANY OF US WERE WHAT TODAY WOULD BE

CALLED BULLYING. I KNOW I WAS.

WE HAD TO BE TOUGH. I THINK THAT MOLDED US TO

BE STRONG. BUT I THINK YOU, LIKE ME, FIRST TIME

YOU HELD YOUR BABY, LIFE CHANGED.

OH WE WOULD SO GET ALONG FINE. I ALWAYS SAY

"IF EVERYONE DID IT MY WAY, IT WOULD BE A PERFECT WORLD."

HAHAHAHHAHA

LIVING IN GRAND ISLE BUT GOING TO SCHOOL ON THE

BAYOU I NEVER HAD A PLACE TO FIT IN. I GOT 

PICKED ON FROM BOTH SIDES. I DON'T HAVE ANY FRIENDS

FROM LAFOURCHE PARISH SCHOOLS.

I WAS KIND OF A BULLY FOR SELF- PRESERVATION.

YOU HAVE ME! NOW LOL.

EVEN THOUGH I LIKED YOU, I THOUGHT YOU WERE TOUGH

BUT I UNDERSTOOD IT. BECAUSE I WAS ALWAYS 

TEASED. I JUST LAUGHED WITH THEM.

BOTH OF WERE SURVIVAL MECHANISMS.

I REMEMBER COMING HOME AND CRYING 

AND THANK GOODNESS I HAD A STRONG DAD

WHO WOULD REMIND ME EACH TIME,

"LIL IT DON'T MATTER WHAT THE WORLD THINKS OF YOU,

WHEN YOU COME THROUGH THIS DOOR YOU ARE LOVED"

I TRULY THINK THAT IS WHAT GAVE ME MY SELF-CONFIDENCE.

HI LILLY, I AM POLLY SO NICE TO MEET YOU AGAIN.

BEING A CANCER SURVIVOR AT 5 NO ONE KNEW WHAT

I WAS GOING THROUGH WITH TREATMENT.

NO FACEBOOK OR GO FUND ME ACCOUNT. 

SO I WAS BALD AND TEASED THEN GREW BACK CURLY

AND I WAS TEASED FOR THAT.

...SO VERY NICE TO BE FRIENDS NOW! SEE YA TOMORROW, MUAH!

I JUST REMEMBER THE CURLY HAIR AND ALL THE

FRIENDS I THOUGHT YOU HAD.

MY HEART IS HAPPY TODAY BECAUSE OF YOU.

THE INSIDE LOOKING IN.

AWE, AND MINE TOO.

FUNNY WE BOTH THOUGHT OUR LIVES WERE ONE WAY

AND EACH HAD OUR OWN DEMONS WE WERE FIGHTING.

LOVE YOU MORE NOW!

Then she mentioned me on Facebook, how we had shared the above,

I texted to say she made me cry, happy tears and that I felt a blog coming on.

AWE SO SWEET. IT IS FUNNY HOW WE ALL 

PERCEIVE OTHERS UNTIL WE GET TO TALKING...

And right there a new bond, a closer friendship, one that I want

to nurture and build on, has begun.

We met in Houma the next day, I with her art piece, she with

a small gift. A sunflower  shelf sitter with the cutest face.

I hugged her tight, told her I will see it daily near my coffee pot

and each day, I will smile and say a little prayers for "us".

I think we were both a little choked up right there in the parking

lot of the AMC Houma Palace theater.

The lesson here?

Don't judge people by what you see.

Be kind to all as none of us know the battles others are facing.

Thank you Polly, my friend, for opening my eyes and heart 

to see a wonderful friend who has been there all along!

A long blog, be kind to someone today.