An (Enchanted) Evening With Maya

On Saturday August 25, 2012, I traveled to Memphis with a dear friend to attend a function there.   The function was called Maya in Memphis . By attending this event, I would be checking off a big "bucket list " item. A bucket list is a list of things  that you would like to do before you die.  Included on that list ,for me, are seeing  the Great Pyramids of Giza,  the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Taj Mahal in India .
Also on that list was seeing/meeting The Great Dr. Maya Angelou in person !! 
On Saturday evening I was well on my way to checking off that item!

On the way to the speaking engagement to see Dr Angelou, I looked up at the sky and saw the most dazzling rainbow! 
I pointed to it and exclaimed excitedly to my friend...

"LOOK at that Rainbow!!!!"

It was HUGE and very bright .It was one like I had not seen in many years. 
We both stared in amazement !  Two grown women were totally in awe of this  wonder of nature  !! My friend said, “I wonder if they can see that in Tupelo.”?
As large as it was, I was sure, in my mind. that they could !

Little did I know that the theme of Maya's talk was to be Rainbow in the Clouds!   She even sang to us !! She sang the lines of an old spiritual hymn...

"When it looked like the sun wouldn't shine no more..........
God put a rainbow in the clouds..".

Maya shared, very intimately and humorously with us highlights of her incredible story and life journey.  She told us about people who had loved 
her, cared for her, encouraged her, helped her and positively affected her life along the way. She called those people rainbows. 
She encouraged each of us to be rainbows !  
Maya 's story deeply touched me, changed me,  empowered me and 
inspired me!

I am DETERMINED to be a rainbow for SOMEONE...
for ANYONE...and for  EVERYONE that I can.

I am going to be a bright shining rainbow in the clouds.

I didn't get to take a picture with Maya, or get her autograph, or present her with my books as I had often dreamed.... 
but the evening was all that I could have hoped for.  
It was more than enough!
Thank You, Dr. Angelou!
I am forever changed!

God Puts Rainbows in my Clouds  ~  
Dr. Maya Angelou SINGING.......