Take My Hand

by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

There is no greater right for a woman than having a choice, Anne. And I exercised that right. Fully and consciously.

I want to do right by people. I’m still a believer, but it’s up to me and my choices to prove that God is real.”

We are at the center of our own destiny. Always have been. Yes, there have been times this country has tried to destroy us. But we have not been doormats. No, ma’am. We have fought and used every resource.

I had never known that good intentions could be just as destructive as bad ones.

“You know, Civil, I had a law professor at Auburn. His name was Maddox. I clerked for his daddy for two years after law school. The old man taught me a very valuable lesson about trial law that I’ve never forgotten.” “What’s that?” “Don’t get ahead of yourself. Take things one step at a time, and eventually your argument in court will reflect that precision. Passion is good. But only when it’s focused.”

As for me, I craved order and rationality. I needed to understand. Not understanding was knocking me clear off my feet.

It baffled me how hatred and goodness could coexist. The world was an enigma. My country was an enigma. Still, she was mine. And I loved every square inch of her.

I was struggling with how I would make up for lost time, but now I know the time was not lost at all. It is just passed. Thankfully, there is more of it. Not as much as I would have liked. But more.