Triple Blessing

I like to think of myself as flexible and spontaneous.  In reality, my days, although not structured, seem to be confined to what I “should” be doing.  I have proven to myself that I can move out of that box.

A couple of weeks ago I did something that was totally spontaneous.  And totally delightful…like manna from heaven.*

Blessing No. 1: One daughter and I drove a total of six hours together.  This much time for just the two of us is almost impossible to achieve.

Blessing No. 2:  A wonderful visit with my other daughter and her family.  Not an extensive visit, just drive for an early evening arrival and be home by noon the next day.

Image from Smithsonian Archives

And there’s that third blessing.  We were privileged to see and hear Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon.

Many years ago my older daughter introduced us to Sweet Honey in the Rock, the a cappella ensemble Bernice founded.  We followed these women like groupies, sitting in the front row, soaking up their message of black women’s history and need for change,  and wishing we could jump in a bus and follow them on their tours. To see this powerful women once again  as a part of a university lecture series was the magnet that pulled us all together on a weeknight.

And what a blessing it was.

Bernice Reagon told her history and that of a our country’s history interspersed with freedom songs sung in her buttery tones.  Her voice was soft and insistent as she waved her arms to beckon the audience into the refrain.  Because one sponsor of her appearance was the music department, the participation was more than the cacophony of normal audience participation.  The harmony rang through the music hall and swelled in heart-expanding notes to accompany  mind-expanding words.

The inspiration of Bernice Reagon is another blog.

For now I am just grateful.  I’m grateful for the great experience and wonderful memories of that 24 hours.  And I’m reminding myself of the wonderful blessings that can flow into my life by allowing myself spontaneity.

xxoo

*For those of you not raised on The Bible, manna was the unexpected food that God provided to the Israelites when they ran out of food in their exodus from Egypt.