Southern by the Grace of God

Hello world.  Sorry I have been neglectful.  Still working on the children's book. 
In the meantime, I have a short essay I wrote severall years ago that I would like to share.  Being an honest to God good ol Southern Girl, I came up with this trying to explain the phrase "Bless his/her heart".  Obviously I wandered.  Hope you enjoy.

Southern by the Grace of God

By Leslie Revels Andrews

I am sure you have all seen the bumper sticker, usually spotted in season on the back of a truck (gun rack optional) or on the occasional rusting El Camino, which states “American by Birth, Southern by the Grace of God”.  Even though I personally would not choose to proclaim this to the world from the rear of my Buick, I do indeed feel blessed to have been born and raised a Southern Woman.

Although the stereotypical “Southern Belle” as seen through Scarlett O’Hara and Blanche DuBois is as mythical as the “Eat all the Ice Cream and Chocolate you want” diet, the real Southern Lady is alive and well.

As with all things, the face of this Lady has changed over the years.  No longer are hats and white gloves required attire.  Nor are we expected to blush at the slightest hint of a compliment.   When 5:30 rolls around, there is a good chance that the Southern Lady is not taking hot homemade biscuits out of the oven.  We are even allowed to leave the house when we are obviously “in the family way”.

No, things have changed here south of the Mason-Dixon.  Today, the Southern Lady works for a living.  At 5:30 you have a better chance finding the lady either making a quick stop at the grocery store or pulling through a fast food drive through than home making biscuits.  You see, we have to get the kids to soccer, ballet, gymnastics, or whatever by 6.00.

Yes things have changed.  Today the Southern Lady is busy.  She goes dancing, bowling, surfing and stir crazy.  She plays tennis, pool, poker and hard to get.  She washes the car, the dog, the dishes and men from her hair.  She fixes dinner, hurt knees, broken hearts and her single friends up on dates.

In so many ways, the Southern Lady of today is like so many millions of women throughout this country.

But, there are differences to being a woman born and raised in the South.

A true Southern woman, no matter what her occupation, income, marital status or age still likes to be a lady.  (Here, I need to add a qualifier.  As is true in all things there are exceptions.  Even in Scarlett’s day there was the occasional Belle Whatling).

In the South, it is not only acceptable for a gentleman to open the door for a lady, but expected. 

It is still an honor to be a Cheerleader.  It is still the custom to take a pie over to the new people next door, and of course a Southern Lady always, always sends Thank You notes.  In the South, the term Darlin’  is a generic form of address for everyone from the bag boy at “The Pig”, to a grandmotherly matron, to the clerk at the local liquor store. (Yes, the Southern Lady has been known to partake of spirits on occasion). I have found only one exception.  Highway Patrolmen frown on being called Darlin’.  Imagine that.

In essence the Southern Lady is kind, hardworking and realistic.  She may be a working mom, an Executive business woman or a stay at home lady of leisure and she may not be baking biscuits, but the Southern Lady knows how to cook up breakfast, light up a room and heat up the night.

And some people say the South lost?  I guess it depends on how you look at it.