Hey there,

I feel led to share this experience with you and I hope it will enrich your life.

A few months ago, a white friend of mine suggested to me that I read THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett. This friend and I, over two years ago, formed a diversity group of white and black men and women age 21-63. She brought the idea to me and we meet every other month. The group size varies and our subject areas are all over the map. We’ve watched movies, we’ve talked candidly and we’ve built trust. So when she suggested I read THE HELP so she and I could discuss it, I was eager to do so. I love to read and this book is the size of one of those “read me at the beach” kind.

The book is about black maids and their white female employers living in Jackson Miss. in early 1960’s. I was even more excited because I was born in Jackson and my parents grew up there. There is one typo, because the black high school was named Lanier, not Lenier as written in the book. (but I digress).

Well, by the second chapter, I AM HOT, FURIOUS!!! I cannot believe this “friend” would recommend the book to me. The book caused me to relive experiences of people I knew and experiences I had in Jackson and other places in the South in the 60’s. The book caused me to question how she would have treated me had I been her maid back then. I literally was blaming all the injustice I was reading about, on her. So I decided not to finish the book and to ask her why in the world she thought I would enjoy reading about all this pain. VERY HOT AND VERY FURIOUS, I was deciding whether to call or go to her house.

So you know God had to step in at this point, cause I’m like out of control. I could not connect with her because I had to attend my closing two day retreat for RUAH school of Spiritual Direction at Richmond Hill (www.richmondhillva.org) The perfect place for God to do what He needed to do with me. Are you smiling yet?...that’s right, I’m studying how to use scripture and prayer to assist people who are in need…and I am out of control.

As I walk out of my house, I pick up the discarded book and “throw” it into my suitcase. Once settled at Richmond Hill, I go out to the beautiful garden and begin reading the book. Throughout the weekend, I did my RUAH assignments which included a lot of contemplative prayer and journaling and I read THE HELP. I read way into the night both on Friday and Saturday and finished Sunday after Chapel. God knew where I should be in order to finish that book.

It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read,....there are so many lessons. It saddens me to think how much I would have missed had I not read it and what might have happened between my friend and me had I not finished it. Sadly, she trusted me a lot more than I trusted her. We have since had conversation about her recommendation, because this was a tough book for her to read as well. (I realize that now) I’m hearing there’s lots of conversation about this book in the white community, but I’ve not spoken to anyone so far in the black community who has read it.

So, I would encourage you to read it. I would encourage you to get a group of your girls(black and white) together and discuss it. I would encourage you to invite me to be a part of the group so that I can hear your experience and your conversation.(smile)

Thanks for listening...

Rita

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