Knowing My Heart by Verna Cole Mitchell Share Your Story contest entry Artwork by avmurray at FanArtReview.com |
There is a moment as sharp in my mind as if it happened yesterday, but it really happened when I was about ten years old, and that's a great number of yesterdays ago! I was standing in front of the church where my dad was the minister when a busload of children got off. I noticed that most of them had dirty faces and uncombed hair. Their clothes were ragged, and their shoes looked worn out. I really felt sorry for them, for though we weren't rich, my mother kept our clothes clean and mended, and I got new shoes whenever they were needed. I didn't love to take a bath, but my parents saw to it that I did, and Mama put my hair into two fat pigtails every morning while I complained about it. I wondered if they would have something good to eat when they got home because I had already smelled the pot roast cooking in the oven before we came to church, and I knew we'd have chocolate pie for dessert.
After lunch, Dad said to me, "Let's take a little walk. I have something I want to tell you. Mrs. Jones came to me after church and told me that you stuck your tongue out at those little needy children that her husband brought to church on the bus" I told him immediately, "That's a big fat lie. I felt so sorry for those kids because they must not have anybody to take care of them like you and Mama take care of me. Why would Mrs. Jones say such a thing about me?" Dad said, "I do not believe what Mrs. Jones said. I told her that I know my little girl's heart, and she would never do that. I'm sorry, Honey. Mrs. Jones is an unhappy woman, and she likes to think the worst of everybody. I wanted you to be aware of her accusation, in case she says something to you about it." That was an early lesson for me of what it means to really know someone else's heart, and I am so glad my dad knew mine.
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Verna Cole Mitchell
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