Give Me Hope

My Mother

         For my contest entry I wanted to share a story about my mother. In my eyes she is very inspirational, and had to go through my hardships to be with mt father. One day we were shopping at the local shop in our neighborhood, and at the check out we were stopped by the cashier and she said these exact words to us.

"I refuse to sell products to a black woman".

And like anyone would be, my mother was livid, she started yelling at the cashier and arguing, I was younger at the time and didn't understand why my mom was yelling so loud in public, and just believed that she was trying to be embarrassing.

After we left, unable to buy our groceries, my mother pulled me aside and asked why I didn't speak up when the lady was disrespecting us. So confused, I told my mother that I didn't feel like yelling.

That day when we made our way to the car, my mom was quiet the entire way till we got into the car, and then our following convo went something like:

"Some people in this world will like you for reasons that you will never be able to change."

"Why, if I cant change it mom, why are they mad at me?"

"Do you know how hard it was for me and your father to be together?"

"No"

"Back when me and your father first started dating, your dads family was not very happy with him dating an african-american woman. They tried everything in their power to separate me and him. It even came down to them threatening your father, and having teachers report to them when he talked to me."

"Do how did you and dad stay together?"

"We made up different noises that signaled different words. Like clicking our tongues meant bye, and making tsk noises meant hello. So when we passed each other in the hallway we didn't have to hold a conversation to know the other was safe."

"What happened when you guys had your first kid?"

"That's the crazy thing, most of his family changed when they first saw your sister. They became nice and helped me and your father. And once you were born it was like they forgot their old ways. They came to help out, they took care of you. And to this day they still help me and your father."

"Why did they change?"

"Because you and your sister formed a symbol. It was a sign that two very different families could mix in the way they did, and create such an amazing life form."

        Even now my parents are still slowly telling us about struggles they went through, my mother is my inspiration, and she always will be.

We got home I learned how brave she was to stand up against the cashier, & how some people have no confidence to do that.

But families like mine give me hope, that the world can intertwine.