Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Remembering Sadia's First Easter

This Easter came and went so quickly. Here is a candid shot of Sadia and Simone just before we whisked them away to church on Sunday morning.



While editing Easter photos this year, I came across a first. This video is the first in a long list of videographies that I've created over the course of the last 3 years. This one captures Sadia's first Easter:



We were in the neighborhood park that day taking Easter photos.

Sadia and I frequented this park on my summers off. It is only a few blocks from the apartment complex we lived in when Teddy and I first got married. Although it was a transitional period for us, the environment wasn't what you would call nurturing. Beer cans and graffiti were the most notable litter items. Curbsides were always plastered with parked cars, no matter the time of day. Dense apartment structures broke up the skyline. Essentially, it was a concrete jungle.

As if the ambiance could be worsened by yet another detail, I'm fairly certain that our upstairs neighbor was a drug dealer. Of this I am certain, because the walls in our apartment were so paper thin that I could hear the details of just about every meth transaction that took place upstairs. One day, the dealer's water pipes burst sending rusty water surging through the soffit cavities leaking through the ceiling. It took the owners so long to extract the moisture from the crawl space, that mold began to settle. I despised my humble beginnings.

One afternoon after church, while searching for a spot to park among the sea of circa 1980s generously used vehicles, Teddy encountered a young man and woman who were engaged in a heated argument. The guy was a thug, with prison tattoos as neck ornaments. He quickly became abusive with the woman, who was presumably his girl friend. At some point, Teddy felt compelled to step in to protect the woman's safety. As he approached, the guy stuck his hand in his jacket pocket, and gestured vehemently, as one might if he were concealing a weapon. The sum total of our living nightmare in that neighborhood converged in that moment, and thus began our search to find more adequate housing.

There were no redeeming qualities about that place. It had obviously lost its charm decades ago. So, it is with a heavy heart that I reflect on these memories. Strangely though, the juxtaposition of Sadia's tender years against a backdrop of that harsh environment makes the whole experience more unique.

8 comments:

Mike and Katie said...

That was wonderful! I love your poety reading.

And the girls look just scrumptous this Easter, too. They look so grown up!

Brazenlilly said...

Those girls are cute, cute, cute! To use a word that first brought you and me together. ;) I'm so pleased you have found a better neighborhood for them to grow up in. Hope you had a great Easter!

Jewels said...

Your girls are adorable! Dionne you really seem like a great mom. Thank you for your honest posts and for sharing yourself.

Diane Davis said...

Dionne... You never cease to amaze me. You are such an artist! I loved your poetry and the cadence in which you delivered it. You are such a good story teller, too. Even when the stories are hard to hear, I am so grateful for your voice. The world needs your voice.

Maryee said...

The babies are just adorable! Growing super fast!!! Blessings...

Unknown said...

That was absolutely beautiful! You could feel your love all through that piece! I can see Sadia all grown up looking back at that video and instantly knowing what a wonderful mother and childhood she had. Love ya!

woosterweester said...

Whoah. I have chills. No joke. I was wondering if that was YOUR voice, and then I read the comments and realized it was! You voice is GORGEOUS. Seriously. It's like God has put a special anointing of healing and hope on it. Don't every underestimate just the SOUND of your very voice. And on top of that you're a poet? I mean, a real poet! None of this love, dove, above stuff I wrote on 7th grade notes. I. Am. In. Awe. Video, books, whatever...you just gotta keep publishing. And lastly, your girls are striking. Though they love you, they are going to grow to be so proud of their mama as they watch these videos and read these stories over and over again.

Anonymous said...

This is beautiful. How very sweet and beautiful the girls are, too. What talent. You never cease to amaze me. Constantly. Love, Judy

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