The Help

By far, I think my favorite book is The Help. I couldn't put it down. My book group read it and they all loved it too. I went to see the movie yesterday and it made me laugh and cry. If academy awards don't get handed out to at least some of the people who worked on that movie, it will be a sin.
After I read the book, I called my Mom. When I was growing up in Gulfport, Mississippi in the early 60's, we had a maid named Geraldine. Now I don't remember much about Geraldine, but I remember I liked her. I asked my Mom to tell me more about her. My Mom said Geraldine worked for her Mom, my Grandmother also. She would work some days for my Grandmother and some for my mom. At the time, my Mom had three children. I was the baby. My Mom said she didn't remember much about her except that Geraldine's husband worked as a janitor at the high school for my Grandfather. My Grandfather was James Landrum. He was principal of Gulfport High School and also the football coach. Apparently Geraldine's husband would some times drink too much and end up in jail. When he wouldn't show up for work, my Grandfather would go down to the jail, bail him out, and bring him to the high school so he would do his job as janitor.
My Mom also told me when she was pregnant with my brother, her fourth child, Geraldine found out about it and said to my Mom, "Ms. True, I'm gonna have to quit. I don't do four babies!"
After a while we moved to Nashville, Tennessee and got a maid named Rose. I remember her more. She was tall and strong. She kept us in line. My two older sisters and I often picked on our younger brother since he was the only boy (bless me brother for I have sinned!). But Rose protected my brother. She would get onto us for ganging up on him.
One day we were playing in the back yard. This huge green garden snake came up on the back porch. Rose came running out when she heard our screams. She didn't hesitate at all to grab a log from the wood pile and beat that snake to smithereens! My siblings and I stood in aw with our mouths wide open having witnessed the killing. We knew then and there that Rose was there to look out for us and protect us.
I wish I could remember more about Geraldine and Rose. God bless them for putting up with all of us. Sometimes I wish I could go back in time, be a ghost, and watch people live their lives just to get a glimpse of what their lives really were like. But that is what movies are for. To get a glimpse of what it might have been like in the past.
I teach my children that people are the same, no matter what color their skin is. The only thing that matters is how they treat others. And to follow the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Or as Paul McCartney wrote, "the love you take is equal to the love you make".