Speaker 1: The day is a sad day for me. I really
Speaker 1: don't know the worst. I'm just so.
Speaker 2: No in search of peace and my pursuited piece. I
Speaker 2: just wanted to dictate my father thoughts about my mom
Speaker 2: because this day, June twenty fifth, at five thirty in
Speaker 2: the morning Pacific Standard time, I received a call. Then
Speaker 2: my mom transcended. She went home and be with the maker.
Speaker 2: Mm hmmm, I'm so sad. I'm just speechless. I'm not
Speaker 2: sure what to say and how to say it. I
Speaker 2: just know that this is very personal and emotional.
Speaker 3: And it hurts.
Speaker 2: I love my mom daily, and I thought that this episode,
Speaker 2: which is due today, that I should be attributed to
Speaker 2: her in her memory.
Speaker 1: And I wanted to replay.
Speaker 2: My conversation I had with my mom when I visited
Speaker 2: her a few months back that I played and I
Speaker 2: want to repeat that conversation because that was the reason
Speaker 2: why I did. It's what's for her. I have an
Speaker 2: episode on my podcast and then we have and that's
Speaker 2: something I can reminisce and go back from years on.
Speaker 1: I love my mom. She's what's the rock. She was everything.
Speaker 2: She was a gift to make sure we had a
Speaker 2: roof food close on our back.
Speaker 1: She was a strong mom.
Speaker 2: I now know I was truly blessed beyond my wildness,
Speaker 2: imagination and dreams to have such a wonderful mom. And
Speaker 2: I wanted her to know that, and I want you
Speaker 2: to know that that there are a lot of blessings
Speaker 2: in our lives, and we shouldn't wait until they had
Speaker 2: lost to tell them. I was grateful and thankful that
Speaker 2: I was able to spend time during the celebration of
Speaker 2: life party we hosted a few weeks ago, and just
Speaker 2: to tell my mom the gratefulness and thankfulness and the
Speaker 2: joy and the happiness and the wonderful times and memories
Speaker 2: that we all shared, and the laughs and the dinners
Speaker 2: and the movies and the walks and the vacations where
Speaker 2: we went as family and embraced each other and had
Speaker 2: such a wonderful time. All of these memories are just surfacing.
Speaker 2: I find solace in peace by thinking about those memories,
Speaker 2: because that's all I have now besides myself and her
Speaker 2: legacy of my siblings and our grandchildren.
Speaker 1: The next generation.
Speaker 2: Thank you, Almighty God, for your blessings and forgiving me
Speaker 2: such a strong mother, a tough cookie as we call her,
Speaker 2: thank you.
Speaker 1: I'm grateful.
Speaker 2: I'm thankful. I'm blessed to have spent that kind of
Speaker 2: quality time because so many people don't have that. So
Speaker 2: I'm just grateful for what I have, and not what
Speaker 2: I have, but grateful for what I have what I
Speaker 2: was given, And I was given.
Speaker 1: A mother.
Speaker 2: Who loved me, who will give her a life for me,
Speaker 2: who devoted her sacrifice to make sure.
Speaker 1: That we were good. So I just want to.
Speaker 2: Play my interview I have with my mom for this episode,
Speaker 2: because this episode is a tribute to my mother, Carolyn,
Speaker 2: Sweet Hunter, I love you.
Speaker 1: This is a start.
Speaker 2: I'm about to interview my mom from a podcast, Malik's
Speaker 2: Bookshelf bringing a World together with books, culture and community.
Speaker 2: Now I hadn't done about sixty one episode, but this
Speaker 2: time I'm gonna interview my mom.
Speaker 1: So this is history. This is I'm sitting right by.
Speaker 2: I flew all the way to Washington, DC spend some
Speaker 2: time with her, and I just said, you know what,
Speaker 2: I haven't done an interview with my mom. So I'm
Speaker 2: sit in here and I'm gonna have a conversation about
Speaker 2: my mom, who's the matriarch and the foundation of our family,
Speaker 2: and how you doing mom want praise the Lord. Hello, Well,
Speaker 2: I'm just excited about our interview. You know, I didn't
Speaker 2: interview with the kids, I didn't interview my wife. Now
Speaker 2: I get a chance to interview you. Now say hi
Speaker 2: to my audience at Malik's bookshelf.
Speaker 4: Hello, Malik, audience at Malik's book I'm so glad to
Speaker 4: be here today because yesterday I was very sick and
Speaker 4: every day it's a new day. Morning by morning, new
Speaker 4: mercies up here. So I'm glad to be able to
Speaker 4: sit up and have this interview with my son. That's
Speaker 4: Sudden number one.
Speaker 1: Son number one.
Speaker 2: Yes, this interview is very important for me because you know,
Speaker 2: none of us promised tomorrow.
Speaker 1: You know, we give thanks for every day, and.
Speaker 2: I'm trying to spend as much time and much you know,
Speaker 2: I flew all the way out hed been out here
Speaker 2: about three times in the last six months, and I'm
Speaker 2: trying to spend as much time while we're going through this,
Speaker 2: you know, this bottle, and were praying for a miracle.
Speaker 2: And today you know, you're feeling good, You're feeling vibrant,
Speaker 2: and so this interview is gonna be historic because you
Speaker 2: know it's something I'm gonna personally cherish for the rest
Speaker 2: of my life simply because I'm sharing a little bit
Speaker 2: of you with Malik's books shelf audience one. So just
Speaker 2: you know, so my audience can know a little bit
Speaker 2: about you. Can you introduce yourself.
Speaker 1: Some of the.
Speaker 2: Things, some of the accomplishments of some of the highlights
Speaker 2: of your life.
Speaker 4: I guess I'm going to say that the greatest part
Speaker 4: of my life is being born in this world by
Speaker 4: my mother, Crusader Pray Scott, who has instilled so much
Speaker 4: of her and her wisdom into me throughout the years.
Speaker 4: Sometimes she thought I wasn't listening, but I was, and
Speaker 4: she was had a deep, deep spiritual insight, and she
Speaker 4: shared so many things with me that it is a
Speaker 4: part of my life today, you know, a part of
Speaker 4: my life.
Speaker 1: Today, major influence. Right.
Speaker 4: You don't let nobody be better to you than you
Speaker 4: out of them. I mean those other things that she
Speaker 4: used to say. So when a person is nice and
Speaker 4: kind and good to you, you don't forget those things.
Speaker 4: You should remember them also, So things like that, it
Speaker 4: just becomes a part of your life.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, absolutely, I know personally that Grandma and Scott had
Speaker 2: a major influence on your life. Sure, entrepreneur, Yes, you're
Speaker 2: an entrepreneur. And to go get it a broker. You know,
Speaker 2: so real estate, had a daycare, had a used to
Speaker 2: sell you know, food at events and things like that.
Speaker 4: Well, there's a will, there's a way. Gotta have one
Speaker 4: and one iron in the fight.
Speaker 1: Yes, so one slowed.
Speaker 4: Down and doesn't work your work on the other one.
Speaker 1: Absolutely. You know.
Speaker 2: I tell people all the time now that my grandmother
Speaker 2: influenced my mother. And they were self employed, they were entrepreneurs,
Speaker 2: and it influenced me, you know. And where you get
Speaker 2: this spear, I said, I got it from them. They
Speaker 2: passed it on to me. They passed it on to me.
Speaker 2: I had strong black women in my life, and you know,
Speaker 2: and and I think that, you know, I'm so happy
Speaker 2: I can acknowledge that, you know, I'm happy that I
Speaker 2: understand and aware of that.
Speaker 1: And and you know.
Speaker 2: I personally, you know, you know, thank God, and I
Speaker 2: thank you for being a major significant part of you know,
Speaker 2: with the things that I'm doing today as a book
Speaker 2: and being not fearful of being self employed and being.
Speaker 1: An entrepreneur because you know, you know.
Speaker 2: I know Grandma would always talk about that having that
Speaker 2: W two, having that W two working for somebody, but
Speaker 2: some of us not.
Speaker 1: Made for that.
Speaker 2: She pushed us, She pushed you, You push me, and
Speaker 2: I'm pushing the next generation to be you know, the
Speaker 2: next generation of self employed entrepreneurs do for self?
Speaker 1: What have you?
Speaker 4: And so no one can pay you for what you
Speaker 4: are worth. So when you find out where you need
Speaker 4: to be in life and what you're put here on
Speaker 4: this planet for, and it's instilled in you because we all,
Speaker 4: we all have have gifts and talents, but sometimes you
Speaker 4: don't know where yours line. You don't no what you
Speaker 4: need to be doing and what will bring the best
Speaker 4: out of you. So you have to seek that.
Speaker 1: Yes, yes, you have to seek that.
Speaker 4: And when you find that, who you found your purpose.
Speaker 4: That's called your purpose. And when you find out what
Speaker 4: your purpose in life is, then that can help you
Speaker 4: to go on the bigger and better things, which no
Speaker 4: matter how much you work for somebody else, it'll never
Speaker 4: take you to that level.
Speaker 1: Amen. That's real talk, then, is that?
Speaker 2: Because we've asked me if something similar to that, they say, hey,
Speaker 2: you know, they say.
Speaker 1: You know? Do you do? You sometimes feel? You know?
Speaker 2: But not having a stable income, and by working for
Speaker 2: somebody else, you know, how do you get through those
Speaker 2: rough times? And do you feel sometimes that, uh, you know,
Speaker 2: there's fears set in.
Speaker 1: When you when you know, hit those hard times because
Speaker 1: you're working for yourself.
Speaker 2: I said, you're gonna go through that with any job
Speaker 2: or any or any profession. They're gonna be highs and
Speaker 2: they're gonna be low. But the one thing that I
Speaker 2: know about being self employed, I know that payday could
Speaker 2: be every day, and I know that that, like.
Speaker 1: You said, no one could pay you for your work.
Speaker 2: And so I'd rather work for myself than work for
Speaker 2: somebody else because you know, I'm my own boss and
Speaker 2: I'd rather give orders and take orders. So so I
Speaker 2: love being self employed.
Speaker 1: I love it. And so we talked about you know, you.
Speaker 2: Mentioned Grandma Scott being a source and a pillar strength
Speaker 2: in your life and guidance and influence. Now, who's some
Speaker 2: of your role models? Other role models in your life?
Speaker 4: I'm saying because the only other role models is the
Speaker 4: Word of God. In my life is the Holy Bible
Speaker 4: to read and understand and to know, and that shows
Speaker 4: me road. But as far as I mean, I know
Speaker 4: that Michelle Obama and all those people are great, and
Speaker 4: Oprah winfriend, all those people, but necessarily, spiritually they're not
Speaker 4: where I am, and I'm not where they are. So
Speaker 4: I can look at them and appreciate their accomplishments. But yet,
Speaker 4: and still I have a different mindset about a lot
Speaker 4: of things. Yes, that they would look at it one
Speaker 4: way and I look at it at another. So I
Speaker 4: really don't have a person that I can say, oh,
Speaker 4: you know.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's fair.
Speaker 4: I don't.
Speaker 2: So what's some of your memorable moments in life.
Speaker 1: I got a lot of them. Well just give us
Speaker 1: three to stand out the most.
Speaker 4: The time I was sleeping in the bed and my
Speaker 4: girlfriend called me up and said, come on, come on,
Speaker 4: go out for a ride. And I said, I'm into bed, sleep.
Speaker 4: She said home, put some clothes on, come on, let's
Speaker 4: go out for a ride. Say, my friend had got
Speaker 4: a brand new car, and we're gonna ride down Haynes's Point.
Speaker 4: That's down by the Patna River, down by the Monument
Speaker 4: and and and the Lincoln Memorial and all that that's
Speaker 4: called Haines's Point. Yeah. So I said, okay, it was
Speaker 4: a nice summer evening and I'm gonna get up out
Speaker 4: of my bed, put on me some clothes, and I'm
Speaker 4: gonna go riding. Well, sometimes you need to stay where
Speaker 4: you are. And sometimes if you had to really sort
Speaker 4: the wisdom of God before you made that move, you
Speaker 4: would have stayed where you were. But I said, oh,
Speaker 4: what's wrong with her? I'll get up and I'll go
Speaker 4: for the ride. So I got up, put some clothes
Speaker 4: on and went for a ride there on Hayes's Point.
Speaker 4: And her friend, her name was Annie, and her friend
Speaker 4: with the brand new car, decided he wanted to test
Speaker 4: it out and see how fast it could go down
Speaker 4: to Hayes Point in the middle of the night. Nobody
Speaker 4: wasn't there. You ain't see a foe but us. So
Speaker 4: he put the metal. He put the medal to the pedal,
Speaker 4: and shoot and then and and and and and and
Speaker 4: then heet the pedal to the metal.
Speaker 1: That's what he did.
Speaker 4: And then the car went out of control. And then
Speaker 4: he was going and he couldn't take control of the
Speaker 4: car was going. And all there I can holler was
Speaker 4: all Jesus help me. Next thing I know, I said, Lord,
Speaker 4: don't let the car go in the water, because I
Speaker 4: can't swim. I can't swim who the car hit the tree, Well,
Speaker 4: it was better to hit the tree. Then he hit
Speaker 4: the water. Nobody really didn't get hurt, nobody got killed.
Speaker 4: I crawled out the back I was in the back seat.
Speaker 4: I crowd out, crowd out the car, and I could
Speaker 4: kiss the bell, say thank you Lord. You didn't go
Speaker 4: into the water.
Speaker 1: Wow.
Speaker 4: Going to the water and a car can't even be Oh, Lordjesus,
Speaker 4: I felt Lord. We had no phones, we had no
Speaker 4: cell phones. We were young people. Wasn't nobody. There wasn't
Speaker 4: nobody we could call. Wow, and we start walking. That
Speaker 4: memorable We start walking. But that's something.
Speaker 1: I'll never forget, and you should.
Speaker 4: Wow because that was again God had heard my crime.
Speaker 4: He saved me from disaster. Absolutely, and I had two
Speaker 4: babies at that time.
Speaker 1: I had.
Speaker 4: Son number one and daughter number one.
Speaker 1: Mm hmmm, me and Ladonia.
Speaker 4: Yes, wow, So what would happened I come back? I
Speaker 4: never come back home. They wouldn't have had no mother.
Speaker 4: Oh wow, they wouldn't have had a mother. But God
Speaker 4: let me walk away from that, and I thank him today.
Speaker 4: I don't forget. Lord, see some things that like you
Speaker 4: shouldn't forget. Well, you know how you didn't character and
Speaker 4: brought you through.
Speaker 1: So that's that's really.
Speaker 2: I never heard of this story, and if you shared it,
Speaker 2: I never remember, but I think I would have remembered
Speaker 2: something like that, because anything where you almost lose your mother,
Speaker 2: you'll never forget that, you know, I never knew. I
Speaker 2: appreciate you sharing that story. Ever knew that experience.
Speaker 4: Called me up and I'm into ben sleep. I said,
Speaker 4: see you later.
Speaker 1: Wow, that man, that's a that's a deep story. That is,
Speaker 1: you know, very heartfelt.
Speaker 2: You know to hear that, I mean, just you telling it,
Speaker 2: I could feel your spirit and you choking up and.
Speaker 1: Your eyes getting watery.
Speaker 2: I mean, you know, because so much time has passed
Speaker 2: since then. There's so many beautiful memories have happened since then.
Speaker 4: You've never right, you was about two or three, and
Speaker 4: you might have been it be one or two, so
Speaker 4: y'all were babies. Yeah, I'd have left my babies.
Speaker 1: And now I'm fifty nine.
Speaker 2: So look at how many years and how many memories,
Speaker 2: memorable memories have happened since then, and all that could
Speaker 2: have been wiped away if it wasn't for the grace
Speaker 2: of God.
Speaker 1: Wow.
Speaker 2: Now moving to something else, I guess you know that
Speaker 2: was a remember event, tell us something that.
Speaker 1: If you had to do over, you would do over.
Speaker 4: Well, I got one for that one to do over.
Speaker 4: I would have worked really, really hard to keep my
Speaker 4: teeth because back then in the day, they didn't have
Speaker 4: dentistry and things like they have today. So every time
Speaker 4: you well, I had soft teeth. I lose a lot
Speaker 4: of calcium when I had my children. But the only
Speaker 4: thing that the doctor knew most of the time was
Speaker 4: put a filling in or pull it out. So the teeth.
Speaker 4: When you lose your teeth, you lose bone because your
Speaker 4: bones shrink. When you lose your teeth. When the bone shrink,
Speaker 4: then your jaw line and your facial features change. They're
Speaker 4: not the same because your bones have changed. So I
Speaker 4: learned the hard way. I learned the hard way. First
Speaker 4: I was told the just let them take one two
Speaker 4: folk because they were gonna fix it. I had a gap,
Speaker 4: and I hated the gap that was in my mouth
Speaker 4: because they always said when you have a gap, that
Speaker 4: means you're a liar, and I did not want to
Speaker 4: be classified as a liar. So I said, I don't
Speaker 4: want this gap. I want my teeth to be together them. Well,
Speaker 4: they got ways of putting your teeth together now without
Speaker 4: taking one out and doing something else. So I let
Speaker 4: him take the toothfoul. He shaved the other one down,
Speaker 4: took one out, and then there was a gap. Then
Speaker 4: he made a cap to go over top of him,
Speaker 4: and in time where he shaved the tooth down, and
Speaker 4: other things that just went sound, that didn't work, and
Speaker 4: at time they went bad. So that meant that I
Speaker 4: was missing teeth temporary. I was missing teeth in front
Speaker 4: of my mouth, which meant that I had to go
Speaker 4: not just get what he had planted in there, put
Speaker 4: in their paste, it in there, glued in there. I
Speaker 4: had to go and get a partial denture at a
Speaker 4: young age. And from then it when to other teeth
Speaker 4: being missing, having children, losing calcium, losing teeth, and eventually
Speaker 4: I ended up with three teeth, one, two, three. I said,
Speaker 4: I'm gonna keep these three. But a lot of happens
Speaker 4: over the years. Like I said, I'm old school. I'm
Speaker 4: seventy seven going on seventy eight. That was a long
Speaker 4: time ago and things are not like that. So I
Speaker 4: tell the world right there today, whatever you can do
Speaker 4: to keep your teeth.
Speaker 1: Do it.
Speaker 4: Wow, Because it's a part of your health, it's a
Speaker 4: part of your strength, it's a part of your looks. Keith,
Speaker 4: your keith, whatever you do. That's my advice to the
Speaker 4: young people.
Speaker 2: That's some good advice because you know, I think that
Speaker 2: you know, it's important for the elders to pass on
Speaker 2: to the youth, you know, anything that they can encourage
Speaker 2: and inspire them. Hey, yours is like you said, keep
Speaker 2: your teeth, you know, put your teeth out.
Speaker 4: Back to day, my mama didn't have no teeth. I
Speaker 4: think she ended up with one.
Speaker 1: Wow wow, yes, yeah, my aunt.
Speaker 4: You know, she was older then my mama. She ain't
Speaker 4: had no teeth. That's what they did.
Speaker 1: That's what they did. That's what they did back I
Speaker 1: guess you.
Speaker 2: Could say they ruined a lot of people's frowns, crowns
Speaker 2: or whatever.
Speaker 1: You Yeah, you know, a smile, it's contagious.
Speaker 2: And who doesn't like to smile showing their beautiful teeth?
Speaker 2: You know.
Speaker 1: So, But that's a good advice you just gave. Let
Speaker 1: me ask you this, then, what are you grateful for.
Speaker 4: I'm grateful to be alive. I'm grateful that God have
Speaker 4: let me live to see seventy seven years and in May,
Speaker 4: on May seventeen, if I'm still here, I'll be seventy eight.
Speaker 4: So that's not long now, that's only like two months away. Yes, right,
Speaker 4: So I'm grateful that God has let me live through
Speaker 4: all my sickness and everything that I have endured during
Speaker 4: this past year because I only got sick one year ago.
Speaker 4: One year one year, and from one year, I've been
Speaker 4: back and forth to the hospital so many times. I've
Speaker 4: had so many needles. I've had so much over and
Speaker 4: over again of tubs down your throat and different procedures
Speaker 4: done over and over again. But God's been good. And
Speaker 4: the doctors they be amazed because they come and they
Speaker 4: push on my side and stuff, and they said do
Speaker 4: you hurt, And I said, no, I don't hurt. So
Speaker 4: I'm thankful. That's what I'm thankful for. The God has
Speaker 4: still giving me life to be able to still enjoy
Speaker 4: my family. They all three just had birthdays March the
Speaker 4: fourth March that was maliek Yes, March the ninth, that
Speaker 4: was my youngest son, Darius, son number two, and then
Speaker 4: Loddonia doing the number one, whose birthday was May tenth.
Speaker 1: March tenth.
Speaker 4: I'm sorry March tenth, so all three were more than
Speaker 4: March yes, March fourth, March ninth, and March tenth.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 4: So I'm so glad that I was able that they
Speaker 4: were all here, and that's been a many of years,
Speaker 4: and they all have been together on their birthdays, so
Speaker 4: they were able to come together and sell a ship
Speaker 4: one with another, and I'm just thankful for that.
Speaker 2: And we recognize you as you know, because it's really
Speaker 2: you know, your birthday as well, because you gave birth
Speaker 2: to all of us. So we was giving honor and
Speaker 2: giving you your flowers.
Speaker 4: And indeed I got lots of flowers to be loose
Speaker 4: card because.
Speaker 1: I'm to Mama, that's right.
Speaker 2: So and we want to get honor, you know, right
Speaker 2: now every day we have a chance. And let me
Speaker 2: just say this about let me say this about you,
Speaker 2: know you going through these challenges the last year, these ailments,
Speaker 2: and how strong you've been, how vigilant, how strong your
Speaker 2: will has been. I mean, you, man, you showed me
Speaker 2: another side because I see you as a fighter. I
Speaker 2: don't necessarily know if I ever knew you as a
Speaker 2: fighter like this. I mean, you're fighting for your life
Speaker 2: every day every day and I see you holding on
Speaker 2: and you know, and you're shaking off whatever it is
Speaker 2: people giving up, but you ain't gave up on yourself.
Speaker 5: No, No, my hands in God mans and I say,
Speaker 5: I trust up and I'm just believing and trusting and
Speaker 5: I just thank them for every day.
Speaker 4: Every day and new day morning by morning, new merchants,
Speaker 4: new merchants. Yes, so thank you.
Speaker 1: You're a fighter. You'll fire.
Speaker 2: What would you like to say to your children? Take
Speaker 2: this time, you know, to think about what you was,
Speaker 2: what you want to say to your children if this
Speaker 2: was your last day?
Speaker 4: Well, you know what, since I'm doing my own obituary,
Speaker 4: you learned then, hm.
Speaker 2: That'll be my truche. You know, Ladonia, she mentioned that
Speaker 2: the other day, you know, Mama writing her own bit worry.
Speaker 2: I said, well, that's customary when you know that you're
Speaker 2: putting things in order in case God call you home.
Speaker 2: Preparing for tomorrow is a necessary thing that we have
Speaker 2: to do. We all know that life is only a
Speaker 2: term and we don't know the time nor to day
Speaker 2: when we're called back to home.
Speaker 1: But we give thanks east and every day day. But
Speaker 1: you know, you living life, it's to the fullest.
Speaker 2: You know, you got a list of things you're trying
Speaker 2: to do, and you know you're not looking to you know,
Speaker 2: right now, to leave. That's when that's in God's hands.
Speaker 2: That's when he wanted to call you. But you fighting
Speaker 2: every day and I see it, witnessing it every day
Speaker 2: I'm talking to you. I come home and I see
Speaker 2: the fight in you, you know, and it gives me
Speaker 2: strength And I hope I.
Speaker 1: Can be as strong as you.
Speaker 2: When you know, I get in a situation where life is,
Speaker 2: you know, in the balance, I pray that God will
Speaker 2: allow me to have that kind of strength.
Speaker 1: Man, because a lot of people give up. You ain't
Speaker 1: gave up. You're a fighter now, a fighter cookie. You
Speaker 1: have any regrets in life? Any regrets in life?
Speaker 4: I tell you about mother that would get out.
Speaker 2: You regret the teeth, that's that's regrets about in.
Speaker 4: The bed, going on the ride.
Speaker 1: I guess you. I guess I get right. That can
Speaker 1: compass comas uh that as well. But like.
Speaker 2: I think that you know, if you live long enough,
Speaker 2: you know, you get wiser and you learn things about
Speaker 2: yourself that.
Speaker 4: You know.
Speaker 1: So what have you discovered about yourself? Uh? These last
Speaker 1: few years?
Speaker 6: I don't think God puts no more on you than
Speaker 6: you can bear. I think sometimes things come into your
Speaker 6: life that might not be to your liking. But the
Speaker 6: most important thing is is to not look at yourself
Speaker 6: for the answers, but ask for the will of God, because.
Speaker 4: God is all knowing. You might think you know, you
Speaker 4: might think you have the right answer. For instance, you
Speaker 4: might think you in love. You might think you got
Speaker 4: the perfect man. You might and then one day you
Speaker 4: find out that that man is out there cheating on you,
Speaker 4: and then you know, what do you do at that point?
Speaker 4: Do you seek God for wisdom, for the point to
Speaker 4: have some type of a deeper understanding, or say that's it,
Speaker 4: but God knows. Maybe you might say or pray, oh
Speaker 4: send him back, I want him back, don't let him
Speaker 4: go no where. But he might not be what God
Speaker 4: got for you. So if you pray the Gods will
Speaker 4: be done in a situation, no matter how you feel
Speaker 4: about it, that God's will be done. And if you
Speaker 4: ask God's will be done, then trust it. Whatever it
Speaker 4: is might not be what you want, but later on
Speaker 4: you will see God's will with the best thing for me.
Speaker 4: Whatever happened that what you thought you were looking at,
Speaker 4: or how you felt it was a fleeting moment or
Speaker 4: just an illusion, and God got When God give you something,
Speaker 4: he got something better for you. Trust him, trust him.
Speaker 4: What's rightfully yours is never lost. And if that person's
Speaker 4: gonna be there for you, it's gonna be there for you.
Speaker 4: So don't trust how you feel. Ask God's will to
Speaker 4: be done for it, and they'll never come out wrong.
Speaker 4: I thought, I thought, I thought that. I mean, I
Speaker 4: didn't think. I knew that I wanted this job, and
Speaker 4: I knew there was not many people qualified for this job.
Speaker 4: And because of my experience in the real estate market
Speaker 4: because us I had already finished working a complex that
Speaker 4: was a condos and I knew, you know, about selling
Speaker 4: the condos, that I was the.
Speaker 1: Most qualified qualified for the job.
Speaker 4: And that's how I felt about it. Brand new project,
Speaker 4: brand new job from the ground up. So they started
Speaker 4: interviewing people for the job, and so I went in
Speaker 4: for the interview, and I was assured that they're gonna
Speaker 4: pick me. I got the experience, I got the qualifications,
Speaker 4: you know. And when it finally they were supposed to
Speaker 4: let you know the next day, and I never heard
Speaker 4: from nobody. So I decided, oh, I'm a ride up
Speaker 4: to my office and find out what's happening. So I
Speaker 4: go up to my office and people running up to me.
Speaker 4: Did you hear? Did you hear? I'm like, no, I
Speaker 4: didn't hear. Oh so and so and so and so
Speaker 4: got the job. They're gonna be partners and a team
Speaker 4: and they gonna work the job. I said, Oh, that
Speaker 4: is so nice. My heart didn't feel that way, but
Speaker 4: I said it. I said it. I said, oh, that's
Speaker 4: so nice. So I knew I couldn't stay in there
Speaker 4: very long because I just couldn't take it to hear
Speaker 4: that they didn't partner up to of the other people
Speaker 4: that was in the interview as a team, and I
Speaker 4: wasn't chosen. So I still had to have a smile
Speaker 4: on my face because everybody expect me to have a
Speaker 4: smile on my face because that's my personality, that's part
Speaker 4: of my spirit. Yes, and so they were expecting it,
Speaker 4: and I know it couldn't stay. I couldn't keep that
Speaker 4: smile very long. So I said, okay, but I'm gonna
Speaker 4: see y'all later, and I hurried up and ran out
Speaker 4: the building, went down to my car, and.
Speaker 1: Boohoo, disappointment.
Speaker 4: Lord, I prayed, I asked you for this job. I
Speaker 4: was the most qualified for this job.
Speaker 1: They had to pay them two people just to equal you.
Speaker 4: So I went home, I got out. I felt low.
Speaker 4: So I got out the car and I went down
Speaker 4: to the basement, to the lowest part of the house.
Speaker 4: And not only did I go to the lord's part
Speaker 4: of the house, I went to the back of it
Speaker 4: where my back was up against the wall. And I
Speaker 4: was like having a pity party. Lord, so and so
Speaker 4: so and so. Lord reminded me, you asked that my
Speaker 4: will be done in my prayer, and I always do.
Speaker 4: I said, Lord, let your will be done. We hadn't
Speaker 4: still when as will were done, did I accept that? No,
Speaker 4: didn't come my way, my way, no way at all.
Speaker 4: That's what I wanted. That wasn't the will of God.
Speaker 4: So finally my husband came home and he saw me
Speaker 4: back in the back, came down there, and I didn't
Speaker 4: want to talk to nobody. I didn't want to talk
Speaker 4: to him. I didn't want to do nothing. I was
Speaker 4: just pity partying and crying and telling them, oh, now
Speaker 4: I was having a pretty party. And he went and
Speaker 4: he put this. At that time, there was.
Speaker 1: A tape. Cassette tapes, Yeah, cassette tape. I don't think
Speaker 1: it was h rap.
Speaker 4: Maybe not these little little tapes that you put cat.
Speaker 1: Then we moved to the see yeah, and.
Speaker 4: Then he put the little tape in, and the tape
Speaker 4: was a preaching ceremony about walking on the water. And
Speaker 4: what that preacher was saying is that I don't care.
Speaker 4: Keep your eye focus on Jesus. Don't you look to
Speaker 4: the left, don't you look to the right, You focus,
Speaker 4: keep your eyes straight on Jesus, because then you ain't
Speaker 4: gonna seek. Just look at him, keep on, keep on him.
Speaker 4: Don't look at the noise, don't even get it, don't
Speaker 4: let it bother you. Look at Jesus. Get up, walk,
Speaker 4: get up. I didn't want to get up and walk,
Speaker 4: but I found myself getting up and I was walking.
Speaker 4: I was walking, and the more I walked, I felt
Speaker 4: myself being released from burden that was on me and
Speaker 4: how I felt. Then you asked me to let my
Speaker 4: will be done now trust me, and I got up
Speaker 4: and I was able. I didn't want to talk to
Speaker 4: my mama, and my mama is my acebott cool buddy,
Speaker 4: my prayer. But now I didn't want to talk to nobody.
Speaker 4: But I found myself coming up, coming up, coming up,
Speaker 4: at my lowest point, taking my back from against that
Speaker 4: walk get up, walking out of it. I said, yes, Lord,
Speaker 4: I'm gonna look at you, and I asked that you
Speaker 4: will be done, and I tresh you and I believe
Speaker 4: in you, so I let it go. Months went by,
Speaker 4: the team was down there working months and months no money,
Speaker 4: months and months and months no money. I was still
Speaker 4: making money. They wasn't making no money because construction wasn't
Speaker 4: going like it was supposed to, and they had settled
Speaker 4: on nothing, and they wasn't getting no money. Now, the
Speaker 4: company had a policy that they give you a little
Speaker 4: something called a draw, but they had went so long
Speaker 4: without no money. The draw period it read out, and
Speaker 4: the same young lady that they hired to run the project,
Speaker 4: the snatch man was coming to get her car.
Speaker 1: Repo man was coming.
Speaker 4: And I found compassion in my heart because she she
Speaker 4: might have been a little behind, but she wasn't that
Speaker 4: far by. But she was down on zero. But I
Speaker 4: found compassion in my heart to give her money. I
Speaker 4: couldn't give him no money. If I was on the project,
Speaker 4: I'd have been just like she was working with nothing
Speaker 4: coming in and God.
Speaker 1: Showed me he no compassion.
Speaker 4: He's all knowing. He knows what tomorrow bring. You don't
Speaker 4: trust them. He know those cases wasn't gonna settle. He
Speaker 4: knew all of that. And then the very partner that
Speaker 4: she had turned the builder against her and took the
Speaker 4: building and with somewhere else. Now, that was a bad situation,
Speaker 4: but I wasn't a part of it because God heard
Speaker 4: me when I said, let your will be done. So
Speaker 4: what I'm getting today to tell you people is that
Speaker 4: trust have been believable. If you ask for us will
Speaker 4: to be done, then what it happens, And it's not
Speaker 4: like you wanted to happen. Have trust, believe because later
Speaker 4: on your seat, he ain't gonna failure, he ain't gonna
Speaker 4: leave you, or he ain't gonna failure. And even though
Speaker 4: you can't see it at that moment.
Speaker 1: You will.
Speaker 4: You will.
Speaker 2: Wow, that was a lesson for everyone that had so
Speaker 2: much hidden on the surface.
Speaker 1: That was wonderful advice.
Speaker 2: You know, as you was telling the whole story, you know,
Speaker 2: it just made me think about times in my life
Speaker 2: when I didn't get what I desired and I asked
Speaker 2: God or something happened too, and I had a gift
Speaker 2: that he blessed me with and.
Speaker 1: That gift was taken away.
Speaker 2: And how and how I felt and how you know,
Speaker 2: just how like you said, going in the corner and
Speaker 2: crying and feeling a certain way and hurt, and how
Speaker 2: I felt you was making me remember all the many incidents,
Speaker 2: you know, but certain things particularly, you know, because they're
Speaker 2: relevant and present. You know, you made me think about
Speaker 2: all of those things as you was telling that wonderful story,
Speaker 2: because sometimes you know, we don't we don't understand, and
Speaker 2: we don't we're not fortune tell us, and we don't
Speaker 2: know what tomorrow brings. You didn't know that that situation
Speaker 2: was going to and you know you were upset at
Speaker 2: the moment you didn't get the job, but down the
Speaker 2: line they would have bankrupt you. So God spared you
Speaker 2: from taking the job because you know, if you've done that,
Speaker 2: you would have been financially strained. And sometimes things happen
Speaker 2: in life, and we don't know what brings tomorrow, and
Speaker 2: I you know, I can relate to that because you know,
Speaker 2: I spent many hours, many days, you know, whimping and
Speaker 2: crying and moaning about certain things and only to find
Speaker 2: out you know, later on in time, because time subtle
Speaker 2: all arguments. So in time, I got to know the
Speaker 2: truth of a situation because that's the only thing that
Speaker 2: can really bring a true healing this time and I
Speaker 2: found out, you know, in time that.
Speaker 1: Why did I even get upset in the beginning, Because
Speaker 1: the time went find I said, whoa God is the
Speaker 1: best knowing?
Speaker 2: It's a reason why he did that, because if I
Speaker 2: had walked down that road, I might not be standing
Speaker 2: here today. Or if I had, you know, made that
Speaker 2: decision to do this, then I might not have the
Speaker 2: house I have now.
Speaker 1: It's crazy, but that's you know, I tell you so
Speaker 1: I can relate.
Speaker 7: Holy And I mean I was some great advice in
Speaker 7: the story you told for Malice books audience, I know
Speaker 7: they can relate, and if they can't, they will later on, will.
Speaker 2: Later on, because if nothing else, life is going to
Speaker 2: be your best teacher. But trust in God because we
Speaker 2: don't know all things. We you know, we worry about
Speaker 2: the things that we cannot control, and we have to
Speaker 2: strengthen ourselves not to worry about the things that we control.
Speaker 2: And when we don't get what we desire, doesn't mean
Speaker 2: it's the end of the world.
Speaker 1: It's just wasn't meant for you.
Speaker 2: Because what it was meant for you, whatever God gave you,
Speaker 2: you know it's meant for you.
Speaker 1: And if you don't have say it again.
Speaker 4: I said, what God gives you and it is meant
Speaker 4: for you, is never lost. What's yours, It's yours on purpose?
Speaker 2: Yes, yes, And so that I think that that, you know,
Speaker 2: it's a good way to end this wonderful conversation. I
Speaker 2: have one more question, and and that is, if you
Speaker 2: had the sum you up.
Speaker 1: In one word, what would it be to find yourself
Speaker 1: in one word?
Speaker 4: In one word? In one word, I'm gonna go. My
Speaker 4: Mama's rout.
Speaker 1: Love love, and not as much love.
Speaker 4: Be a person of love, be a love, is it, love,
Speaker 4: curious everything, Love, Love your fellow man, love one another,
Speaker 4: love yourself, Hello, Love.
Speaker 2: I think that you've been a testament of love. And
Speaker 2: I don't say that just because I'm your son. I
Speaker 2: say that because I've witnessed you over the years evolving
Speaker 2: into that. We don't always start out that way, but
Speaker 2: we grow into what we become. And you know, your
Speaker 2: life has been a testament of giving and of love
Speaker 2: and I bear witness to that. So that's a great
Speaker 2: way to define you. Love and I love you, Mama.
Speaker 4: I love you too.
Speaker 1: Yes, I hope mart is enjoy that. I know I did.
Speaker 4: I appreciate you coming and giving me an interview.
Speaker 1: Absolutely, thank you.
Speaker 8: This is Malik's farewell letter to his mom. As you
Speaker 8: begin your journey home to the creator of all life, Allah,
Speaker 8: remember these words.
Speaker 3: I love you.
Speaker 8: Thank you for being a loving mom. Thank you for
Speaker 8: being a caring mom. Thank you for being a great mom.
Speaker 8: Thank you for being a radiant life.
Speaker 3: Mom. Thank you for providing a loving home.
Speaker 2: Mom.
Speaker 3: Thank you providing food and shelter. Mom. Thank you for
Speaker 3: giving me life. Mom. Thank you for all your prayers. Mom.
Speaker 3: Thank you for all your wisdom.
Speaker 8: Mom.
Speaker 3: Thank you for all your courage. Mom. Thank you for
Speaker 3: your inspiration. Mom. Thank you for your guidance. Mom. Thank
Speaker 3: you for your trust.
Speaker 2: Mom.
Speaker 3: Thank you for your leadership.
Speaker 5: Mom.
Speaker 3: Thank you for leading me to God. Mom. Thank you
Speaker 3: for teaching me about God.
Speaker 5: Mom.
Speaker 3: Thank you for giving me your best mom. Thank you
Speaker 3: for loving me. Mom. Mom, your special mom. You're magnificent.
Speaker 8: Mom.
Speaker 3: You're strong, Mom, You're amazing.
Speaker 4: Mom.
Speaker 8: You're godly Mom. You're wonderful mom. You're beautiful mom. You're
Speaker 8: great mom. You're worthy mom. You're radiant mom, Your love mom.
Speaker 8: You're incredible mom, Your hope mom, your courage mom.
Speaker 3: You're extraordinary mom. You're mighty mom. You're heroic.
Speaker 1: Mom.
Speaker 8: You're selfless mom. You're giving mom. You're compassionate mom. You're
Speaker 8: epic mom. You're a tough cookie mom. You're a sacred woman.
Speaker 9: Thanks for listening to Malak's bookshelf with topics. On the
Speaker 9: shelf are books, culture, and community. Be sure to subscribe
Speaker 9: and leave me a review. Check out my instagram at
Speaker 9: Leak Books.
Speaker 1: See you next time.