Women in Recovery

I was out running errands today when I passed a young woman standing on a corner holding a sign that read "Car wash $5, Women in Recovery." One of the items on my list of things to do today was to wash my super dirty car, so I doubled back around the block and pulled into their driveway. On my mind was killing two birds with one stone: clean car while simultaneously helping out my sisters who are trying to help themselves. When I pulled to the back of the driveway, women ranging in age from maybe 18-40, black, white, and latina were hard at work, washing and windexing with a little boom box playing the Black Eye'd Peas' "Weekend Girl." Just watching them was uplifting. There's something wonderful about watching a human being working towards recovering from whatever it was that was extinguishing their soul. A house full of healing women and I wished I could help them all somehow fulfill their dreams. I took a seat in the shade next to a little blonde girl who hunched over shyly at the other end of the bench, and waited, made a bit of small talk with whoever was listening. When my car was finished, I remembered that my next stop was to be at Goodwill to drop off two bags of clothing - one bag of clothes, one bag of shoes - since I'd just cleaned out my closet. So I asked the ladies if they accepted donations and they LIT UP! Like I was Santa Claus, lol. "She brought DoNo's yall!" one of the ladies screamed and then there was a chorus of 'thank yous' as they all surrounded the girl holding my bags . I suddenly felt that my modest donations were inadequate. I mean, I barely recall what was in those bags because when I'd packed them I didn't have recipients in mind. Pink Adidas...um, a pair of black and white sneakers, loafers, a couple of mini skirts...um... but hardly anything worthy of such excitement. So I paid double for my car wash, hopped in the car and left before they could rifle through my "DoNo's". Target was down the street so I went there to pick up a few things. Mainly, a pair of rubber rain boots for my backyard and that stupid waste of money, pool that I have to clean out. But that's another story. Anyway, on my way back home from Target I had to pass by the car wash again and this time the little shy blonde girl that I had been sitting next to was standing on the corner with a couple of others and she smiled and waved at me :) She smiled with her whole face and waved like an excited little kid. I felt absolutely fabulous! Maybe I did have some good stuff in those bags. Maybe they just appreciated the sentiment. In either case, it prompted me to go home and go through more of my clothes so tomorrow I'm taking two more bags.