Maya Angelou is one of my favorite individuals. She passed away too soon for me. I love her writing; the words she shares and her voice whispers over my heart with tenderness.
I am sharing this story today not because of a political stance or to ask for comments regarding decisions made. I came across it this morning as I was doing my morning routines. I saw her picture, and I always stop when I see her.
My blog posting today.
I wrote the blog and struggled with the message I was trying to share. I did not want to use information about me, but I could not get those thoughts removed from the words I typed. Then this appeared this morning, and I thought this matched the post and the struggle I was having.
“When I was 16, a boy in high school evinced interest in me, so I had sex with him — just once. And after I came out of that room, I thought, Is that all there is to it? My goodness, I’ll never do that again! Then, when I found out I was pregnant, I went to the boy and asked him for help, but he said it wasn’t his baby and he didn’t want any part of it.
I was scared to pieces. Back then, if you had money, there were some girls who got abortions, but I couldn’t deal with that idea. Oh, no. No. I knew there was somebody inside me. So I decided to keep the baby.
My older brother, Bailey, my confidant, told me not to tell my mother or she’d take me out of school. So I hid it the whole time with big blouses! Finally, three weeks before I was due, I left a note on my stepfather’s pillow telling him I was pregnant. He told my mother, and when she came home, she calmly asked me to run her bath.
I’ll never forget what she said: “Now tell me this — do you love the boy?” I said no. “Does he love you?” I said no. “Then there’s no point in ruining three lives. We are going to have our baby!”
What a knockout she was as a mother of teens. Very loving. Very accepting. Not one minute of recrimination. And I never felt any shame.
I’m telling you that the best decision I ever made was keeping that baby! Yes, absolutely. Guy was a delight from the start — so good, so bright, and I can’t imagine my life without him.
At 17 I got a job as a cook and later as a nightclub waitress. I found a room with cooking privileges, because I was a woman with a baby and needed my own place. My mother, who had a 14-room house, looked at me as if I was crazy! She said, “Remember this: You can always come home.” She kept that door open. And every time life kicked me in the belly, I would go home for a few weeks.
I struggled, sure. We lived hand-to-mouth, but it was really heart-to-hand. Guy had love and laughter and a lot of good reading and poetry as a child. Having my son brought out the best in me and enlarged my life. Whatever he missed, he himself is a great father today. He was once asked what it was like growing up in Maya Angelou’s shadow, and he said, “I always thought I was in her light.”
Years later, when I was married, I wanted to have more children, but I couldn’t conceive. Isn’t it wonderful that I had a child at 16? Praise God!”
Maya Angelou
Life brings us many opportunities. In these opportunities, we have choices. The options come in the form of slip-ups, stumbling blocks, and stepping stones. It is how we respond to these situations that project us to the next level and path. We must never forget it is not always about us but also about others around us who are impacted by the decisions we make. Choose wisely as the path you take brings you to your next slip-up, stumbling block, or stepping stone in life’s journey.