“Do you remember me?”
“Of course,” I say, “we had a meaningful conversation.”
She reaches towards me and gives me one of the warmest hugs I have received. Its true, a good hug is better than medicine.
This is RT, she works at the hotel. Earlier in the week, she cleaned the hotel room I was staying in. We had discussed politics and the current state of the world.
She is a Black woman from West Africa and I am a White Jewish woman from the US.
I mentioned the racism inherent in the administration and in seemingly each new policy. RT agreed- and continued, “everyone is racist, some people just hide it.” Her candor enabled us to freely relate and to get closer to understanding the world around us.
So when she came in this time to clean- we had catching up to do.
A pipebomb had gone off days earlier in the train station she takes to work. It was her and her family’s feelings about this incident that we discussed as we made the bed together.
She laughed at my attempt at hospital corners. She came over to my side and showed me, I knew it was in vain, but I loved the moment and her charitable heart. She gave me her phone number, another hug, and she told me to visit Harlem- so I did.
May we allow space for other’s to inspire and teach us. -JWW