Lend Me Your Hope for Awhile
I cherish every moment I spent with Regina. She came from NYC for a day on business. We met at 8:00a.m. sharp at the Brown Bag. Regina had a piece of fruit and a cup of coffee. I had a small cup of oatmeal and green tea.
We talked about all: fashion, shoes, business, kids, life, travel, trust, and friendships. All in one hour! And before I was ready to go Regina asked me if I shared her poem with YOU. I said that I will be happy to share with my fabulous friends and loyal readers.
This is Regina’s speech at my first book reception at the Woman’s National Democratic Club in Washington, D.C.
Thank you, Master Rhee, for introducing Taekwondo to the U.S. As a result of your efforts, my brother, whom I use to beat up on a daily basis, began taking your classes and after that I never beat him up again.
I met Lana at an event in New York in the summer of 2006 at the MAKE MINE A MILLION campaign. When she approached me, I realized her name was Russian and I began to speak to her in Russian, to which she replied, “Hello, my name is Svetlana Kim. Would you like to make a donation of $12,000.00?”
I looked at this bold woman and something in her eyes made me pull out my credit card and say sure. Meanwhile, Edie Fraser was telling me no, I could make a lesser donation.
However, something in Svetlana?s eyes made me want to help her. Here was this bold woman asking me for a huge sum of money for an organization I had knew very little about. But looking into her eyes–which I believe are the windows of one’s soul–made want to do it.
Upon my arrival into the office the following day, I informed my husband, who was also my business partner, about what I had done. If anyone knows me, they know I do not part with money easily unless it is for a charitable organization that I trust.
Needless to say, he flipped, thinking I had totally lost my mind. I politely informed him that I had not, and then he proceeded to ask me why I would not give him $12,000.00. I told him, ?Oh, honey, because you’re married to me??
I believe God brought Lana into my life for a reason. I did not realize it then, but she was to become one of the people who would not let me go, along with Edie and Loula, who stood by me and refused to give up on me.
You see, on July 16, 2007, I lost my beloved husband in a construction accident. I own several companies and one of them specialized in high-end roofing. Upon his death I shut everyone out of my life and became a recluse. My brothers, who are Pentecostal ministers, my mother, my 67 first cousins–none of them had access to me.
I removed myself from the world and did what I called sofa therapy. I would lie on the sofa all day and when my children came home, I would get up. My children said, “Mom for three months the food you’ve made tastes like cardboard?” I snapped at them, “You’re surviving, aren’t you?”
At this point in my life I had trapped myself within the insanity of my mind and refused to come out. I did not eat, interact, or work, and I stayed that way.
But Lana refused to give up on me; she would call me, send me cards over the Internet, and call me some more. She would tell me how Edie and Loula missed me and wanted to see me, tell me how much I meant to all of them.
She would tell me her stories about leaving Russia penniless and coming to the U.S. and how people helped her. She would tell me about her friend Edie and her husband Dimitry. She would call just to say hi and to ask me to come to China with her; she would send me invites to all of her and Edie?s events. Each time I declined.
What she did not know then was that I no longer wanted to live. I loved my children but my love could not help me because the pain was so great. What she did not know was that I was at the abyss, looking down. But because of her kindness and support, I stepped back.
Her warmth and love kept me from leaving this world. God put her in my life to tell me of her struggles and how she overcame each one. To you Lana:
Lend Me Your Hope (Author- Unknown)
Lend me your hope for a while,
I seem to have mislaid mine.
Lost and hopeless feelings accompany me daily,
pain and confusion are my companions.
I know not where to turn.
Looking ahead to future times
does not bring forth images of renewed hope.
I see troubled times,
pain-filled days,
and more tragedy.
Lend me your hope for a while,
I seem to have mislaid mine.
Hold my hand and hug me;
listen to all my ramblings,
recovery seems so far distant.
The road to healing
seems like a long and lonely one.
Lend me your hope for a while,
I seem to have mislaid mine.
Stand by me,
offer me your presence,
your heart and your love.
Acknowledge my pain,
it is so real and ever present.
I am overwhelmed
with sad and conflicting thoughts.
Lend me your hope for a while.
A time will come when I will heal,
and I will share my renewal,
hope and love with others.