Womon weeping

We leave Atlanta close to midnite, heading to Jackie's in Port St Lucie, Florida. After we drop off her things, Jasi & I will head up the coast and camp at a Florida State Park close to Jacksonville - and closer to Atlanta in case Tess & Guy want to join us.

Jasi wakes up, once he gets into his car seat, excited, not in the least bit sleepy - but of course, we both soon have to go pee!

As I pull off an exit and up to the combined truck stop & Denny's Restaurant, a white womon driving a small red pickup truck approaches, drives around us, and parks next to us.

She is weeping.

Jasi & I get out the truck and approach her driver's side window. She is gasping for breath, smiling thru her tears, one hand over her heart, the other extended to us.

When she can finally speak, she wants to tell me how much she appreciates my message of ending violence against womyn, on the side of my truck. She confesses she was one of those women, for 11 years. And 3 children.

I nod, holding her hand, and tell her so was I.

She tells me she didn't know why she had to come back to Dennys, where she works, but she believes it is my truck that drew her back. She had to see this message, she had to remember once again that she was worth loving, that she loves herself.

She confesses that she didn't leave him, the man who abused her weekly, who hurt her, threatened her children and her life, for eleven long years.

But now she left him. Now she wants to believe she can love herself; someone else will love her.

Jasi wiggles in my arms, reminding me he has to pee, so we all hug - a group hug, Jasi insists - under the bright false lights of the parking lot.

I tell her to stay strong, she says god bless me, I say Lesbians bless her~! And we smile, and head our separate ways.