LET THE OLDER TEACH THE YOUNGER

In the late 90’s I wrote how the older women should teach the younger and some of the subject matters they should teach. I sure wish this practice was enforced right now because this generation needs it. Myself included, I wish I had someone to go to that could and would speak into my life right now. Conversely we live in a mind your own business and nobody wants to stick their noses in other folks business age.  By all means stick your nose in my business as that is a way to help me get to heaven.
This week a good buddy of mine called me, we have been friends since my early 20’s; we met here in Michigan and both of us are from Tennessee.  That by itself is a connection.  I heard he had been seriously ill and called his estranged wife to ask her to tell him I was asking about him as I cared. He called and asked me did I know he was ill, his voice was so different I really didn’t know who he was when I answered the phone. He was so happy to talk to me and I was likewise. This is what he said to me, “Stine, I want to reaffirm our friendship, and I’ve got to treat people right no matter how they treat me because when I die I want to go to heaven.” Wow! That statement stayed on my mind all that day.
Being a Titus 2 Woman is what I am really talking about and I think of my oldest sister, Lucille Purham Moore. She was the oldest in our family and she wore it well. She just had a birthday this month (82), she works full time at a beauty college and she is the Mother of her church.  She had her family and returned to college and received her Master’s Degree in education and was a Department Head for Detroit School System. She is the ‘go-to person’ for my entire family. Not that we think she can fix everything but by sharing with her we can get a new perspective. She is a safe listener.
I remember when I was very young, how she taught me to take care of my body, teeth and speak effective English.  When I was in 3rd grade, during chapel she would do speeches, monologues and skits and decided when I grew up I would do the same. Yep, I sure did follow in her foot step. I said my first public speech at age 9. I also won scholarship to local college for best actress in a play. All my teachers said I was on my way to Hollywood. I didn’t pursue that.
My oldest sister taught me many other things, how to protect myself, and speak up for myself and to do it with emphasis. I used to watch her date. When young men came to see her they always brought her a box of candy. One day this young man came to visit her and had a big box of candy. I knew she didn’t like him but I sure wanted her to like him that day so when she sent him off he would leave the candy. Well, that didn’t work out, so he took the candy with him. I was so angry with her, at least she should have kept the candy.
She made me clothes and took up for me when I was in a battle. I remembered when I was sick in hospital, in a coma, she came and sat at my bed talking to me. The doctors told her it was no need to talk to me because I couldn’t hear her. My sister said, “I still need to say this to her.” She told me she wanted me to get well and come sit on her back porch to eat all kinds of fruit and vegetables. When I woke up, nurses asked what I was going to do when I leave the hospital and I simply told them what my sister said to me while in a coma. My daughter that was my advocate heard about this and tried to correct me and said, you are not going to do that, where did you get that from? When I told her, she called my sister and she confirmed those were the things she told me about while I was in a coma.
I appreciate my sister as she was a real example of the older teaching the younger.