Divas Command

It's a wonderful feeling when you receive confirmation of how much you are loved. I mean we know, most times, how our family and family-friends feel about us but when you get those moments of clear revelation it feels good. Those moments when you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, they will do anything for you and only let you fall so far. My latest moment came a couple of weekends ago.

My "adopted" parents had a party. It was a housewarming / end of softball season (4 time champions, babee!!) / church family / labor day / fish fry. Shoot, it was probably someone's birthday too. Oh, and it was opening weekend for college football - with the biggest game in town University of Colorado vs Colorado State University (thus the picture of everyone gathered around the big screen).

But unlike the guests I was summoned out early to help with the preparations. So there I am, making lemonade at the sink when my "grandmoma" says "Is something missing?" I'm thinking, No, Momma E... it's CountryTime - just add water but I say "M'am?" She repeats, "I said is something missing?" "What Momma E?" "Where am I looking?"

And that's when I realized she was looking at my left ring finger. See just a couple of months ago I, in a rush of rejection and resignation, finally said yes to my boyfriend's repeated request to marry him. I then promptly announced it to family and friends. But shortly after (we're talking hours, peeps) I knew it wasn't right. So I started thinking about how to extricate myself. I thought I'd wait about 6 months then say we decided things wouldn't work out. While I took the ring off officially, for weeks I would make sure I was wearing it whenever I thought I'd see family and/or friends. But labor day weekend I didn't feel like continuing the fraud. I thought no one would notice at the party so I just didn't put it on before I left the house.

Leave it to grandmas to see err'thang! And I couldn't lie to her. So I said, "Yeah, I took it off." "Took it off?" "Yeah. For good." "For good?" "For good." And I waited for the reaction, for the questions, for the admonishments. "Well, HALLELUJAH!" Huh, Momma E? "I knew he wasn't the one! I was only gonna let it go for only so long. I not letting anyone mess with my children. Lord, knows! I love my children and if you ain't right for them - you ain't right. I talked to people who knew and I knew he wasn't right for you..." You get the idea. I look over and my Momma is smiling, my Poppa is smiling, Daddy L (Momma E's man friend) is smiling and I'm like Why y'all ain't say something?!

So the day goes on and the word spreads. So much so that even around 6 pm when the latest wave of people come through (party started at 2, y'all - colored people), the recently arrived minister of music says, "T... heard you moving on, gurl. Well, change is good. If it ain't working, stop the bleeding." Huh?! Why y'all ain't say something?!

Later in the evening , just the "family" sitting around. My best sista-friend passes the word on to the other sistas. She is practically shouting she's so happy I've called it off. While everyone else is asking "What happened? When?" she's just sitting there glowing and beaming. Again Why Y'ALL ain't say something?!

So now I'm laughing my dang self because I'm imagining standing at the altar, the minister asking if anyone objects and my crazy "family" cueing up in the aisle to state their case. Or the other alternative, being kidnapped the week before my wedding and held hostage until I came to my senses or he gave me up for dead. Family, y'all... What we gon' do wit 'em? Why they ain't say something?!

Thanks mi familia - I love y'all too.