Months ago, on the way to find a new trail, I overheard over the car radio the latter half of an inspiring story, which I relayed to my daughter when she was home.
A black mom, in raising her black girl, has been telling her to always keep her head up but her mouth shut.
Sitting in the classroom one normal school day, she was facing the questions from her teacher.
“What does your mom do?”
Remembering her mom’s word, the little girl answered timidly that she did not know.
Then the topic somehow switched to the shoes the girl was going to wear to school. The girl told the teacher that she had ten pairs of shoes, describing each in details the colors and styles.
One day, the girl wore a pair of shoes that was not in her list. The teacher saw it, looked into the girl’s eyes, and said coldly: “You didn’t tell me that you have this.”
The girl was intimidated and lowered her head, as if she was doing something wrong.
Back at home, she told her mom what happened that day at school. The mom was enraged. "That’s ridiculous!”burst out the mom. The girl looked at her mom, not sure if it was her that her mom was mad at.
“It’s none of her business!” Holding her little girl’s hand by one side, and with a handbag in another, the mom stormed out the door. Not knowing where her mom was taking her, or if it’s the school they were going to, the girl followed her mom fearfully. They came to the bustling main street, and stopped in front of Saks 5th Avenue. The mom went straight into the shoe department and picked a pair of yellow-colored shoes that cost almost $100.
The next morning, the mom asked the little girl to put on the new shoes, and told her:
“You go and tell the teacher that you actually have a dozen pairs of shoes.”
The girl did accordingly. She walked up to the teacher and showed her her 12th pair of shoes. The teacher, stone-faced, looked at the shiny bright new shoes, said nothing but: "Go and sit down.”
Of course, the mom knew that soon the little girl's feet would outgrow all the shoes she had, but this $100 is a silent defiance, fighting for her little girl’s dignity in face of an authority. Many years later, the little girl, now grown up to be a self-esteemed lady, was telling her story over the radio, reminiscent of her proud mom and her 12 pairs of shoes.
回複 '7grizzly' 的評論 : Hi, my friend. Thanks for your comment and thinking. True, dignity is endowed to each of us by God, not given by someone. But when people are mercenary, dignity can sometimes be earned:)). The mom fought in her own way and she is a character in my eyes. Thanks again, my friend!
南山鬆 發表評論於
母親的行為出人意料，為了女兒的尊嚴，這100元也是值了。謝謝暖暖的好分享：）
7grizzly 發表評論於
Interesting story. I applaud the black mom but I tend to believe that dignity can never be taken away unless one gives it. Nor can it be bought. "Keep your head up and mouth shut" is good enough.
暖冬cool夏 發表評論於
回複 'Once-always' 的評論 : Oncemm說的是，Very wild imaginations in the dream,and I was caught off guard by your visit. But meanwhile it reflects sth, like untidiness, 馬大哈:)) 還記得夢裏站在三樓show你們風景，a complete new and strange scene, some castle-like neighbood. Oncemm夢見我在車裏，不會是私奔吧:)) 謝謝你的再次到訪留言！
剛剛文學城好像crashed了，後來手機又信號不好。
This reminds me the book 《The Color of Water》- autobiography and memoir of James McBride。 暖冬的女兒has a big heart.:)
BeijingGirl1 發表評論於
Nice article, interesting story. Like it!
Once-always 發表評論於
暖mm，剛剛早餐時，跟他講了這個故事。我問： what’s your takeaway of the story? 他說：a girl needs 12 pairs of shoes, one for each month. :))) 這人就沒正經。不過仔細想想，我覺得這個故事裏強調的$100其實還是想說sometimes money can buy self-esteem and dignity. 當然還有一層意思是說你沒說出來的才是最好的，比如小女孩沒說出她媽媽是幹什麽的。。。哈哈，I think we’re all over analyzing now. To that little girl, it’s just one of the many things her mom had done for her during her childhood.
Once-always 發表評論於
What an inspiring story! The little girl was lucky that she had a wise mom, but I would say that any pair of shoes would serve the purpose. ：） 不過這位媽媽的這$100花得值，買來女兒一生的自尊自強。
Months ago, on the way to find a new trail, I overheard over the car radio the latter half of an inspiring story, which I relayed to my daughter when she was home.
A black mom, in raising her black girl, has been telling her to always keep her head up but her mouth shut.
Sitting in the classroom one normal school day, she was facing the questions from her teacher.
“What does your mom do?”
Remembering her mom’s word, the little girl answered timidly that she did not know.
Then the topic somehow switched to the shoes the girl was going to wear to school. The girl told the teacher that she had ten pairs of shoes, describing each in details the colors and styles.
One day, the girl wore a pair of shoes that was not in her list. The teacher saw it, looked into the girl’s eyes, and said coldly: “You didn’t tell me that you have this.”
The girl was intimidated and lowered her head, as if she was doing something wrong.
Back at home, she told her mom what happened that day at school. The mom was enraged. "That’s ridiculous!”burst out the mom. The girl looked at her mom, not sure if it was her that her mom was mad at.
“It’s none of her business!” Holding her little girl’s hand by one side, and with a handbag in another, the mom stormed out the door. Not knowing where her mom was taking her, or if it’s the school they were going to, the girl followed her mom fearfully. They came to the bustling main street, and stopped in front of Saks 5th Avenue. The mom went straight into the shoe department and picked a pair of yellow-colored shoes that cost almost $100.
The next morning, the mom asked the little girl to put on the new shoes, and told her:
“You go and tell the teacher that you actually have a dozen pairs of shoes.”
The girl did accordingly. She walked up to the teacher and showed her her 12th pair of shoes. The teacher, stone-faced, looked at the shiny bright new shoes, said nothing but: "Go and sit down.”
Of course, the mom knew that soon the little girl's feet would outgrow all the shoes she had, but this $100 is a silent defiance, fighting for her little girl’s dignity in face of an authority. Many years later, the little girl, now grown up to be a self-esteemed lady, was telling her story over the radio, reminiscent of her proud mom and her 12 pairs of shoes.
