Things I Should Have Told My Daughter by Pearl Cleage

I finished reading Things I Should Have Told My Daughter by Pearl Cleage, and I felt an urgent need to write.... so, here I am!

Pearl has basically published her personal journals from 1970 to the end of 1988, and I found her life to be completely fascinating...

I was first introduced to Pearl through her book What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day. I read this book, I believe back when I was living in Detroit, so that must have been over fifteen years ago.

I have been in books stores where Pearl have read from her books, answered questions, and signed her autograph, and she is quite fascinating to interact with.

Pearl and Me! I think that this was 2002

A dear soror and friend sent me a text about a week ago to ask me to attend her book club meeting where they would be discussing Things That I Should Have Told My Daughter. Well, you know that I checked my calender and instantly replied sure...

Reading this book, I had to get use to reading diary style writing, but once I got the hang of it, I really, really, really was intrigued by it.

Pearl has been living...

While reading her book I had lot of thoughts but two main thoughts:

1. I ain't been living...What am I waiting on?
2. Is there an happily ever after?

I ain't been living....

Pearl shows that she has always had a true commitment to writing. She has written speeches for public figures such as Maynard Jackson, former mayor of Atlanta. She has written plays, and many of her plays have been performed. She even worked on a film with Richard Pryor. She's been to some of the best concerts where performers such as Bob Marley performed. She's met Rap Brown, Muhammad Ali, Stokely Carmichael, Malcolm X, Dr, King, Coretta Scott King, Andy Young, Julian Bond, Coleman Young etc. And, her novel What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day was an Oprah Book Club Book...My People, I got to get busy!

Is there an happily ever after.....

I really am a sucker for love and happily ever after; I am! Pearl was married to a public figure, they had a child, and divorced. After the divorce, Pearl seemed to be in constant pursuit of true, safe love but was getting it from all the wrong places such as married men. As I was reading Pearl's thoughts on love, I thought a lot about if happily ever after really exists. It seemed like there would be no happily ever after for Pearl that involved love with a man. However, she met a friend in 1971, they shared a lot of common interests, and without realizing it, they fell in love, got married in 1994, and in Pearl's words "so far, so good!" So, maybe there is a such thing as an happily ever after.

I thoroughly enjoyed Pearl's journal, and I highly recommend it...

Pearl and her love!

Let's get busy living our lives and being in love!!!!

Happy Friday.

My next read is Dust on the Shoes by Patricia Barbee