What is our relationship? Well, now. I would say we are siblings. “Soul siblings,” to be accurate.

Her name is Marie Watson, and she lives in Roosevelt, New York. We’ve never actually met, but we know each. Most surely we do.

You see, her mother — Lillie Grace Marsh Harris — was the second love of my young life, after my mother.

Lillie, “my” Lillie, helped my mother way back in those early years of the ’40s, and that’s when she was a part of my life. Significantly and unforgettably so.

We all know what the social and cultural customs of those times were. We know. But to a very young child such things didn’t register. This awareness came a few years later. I loved Lillie, and she was much respected within our little family unit. She and my mother were close.

My “soul sister,” Lillie’s daughter, and I exchange letters — good letters — several times a year.

Her latest one was written July 18. It reminded me, once again, of something I read years ago: “Letters are the only true heart talkers.” There’s a lot of truth in that.

So. Please let me share with you, kind readers, just a little of that which Marie wrote. Just a few passages from an insightful, passionate, poignant perspective.

“Do you think our mothers are upset about the turmoil in our country? Are they crying in heaven?

“Perhaps they have been sent back to Earth with new identities to help this generation realize that black lives matter, that all lives matter whether or not you are male, female, young, old, a 3-day fetus, brown, white, a native person, immigrant, Olympian, mentally ill, autistic, short or very tall. So many differences yet all the same regardless of race, creed or color.”

And there was more, so much more, with emphasis upon her personal faith convictions. That she is a believer is beyond question. Space constraints allow but so much availability for my weekly “Write Again” efforts.

Marie, who is an R.N., ended her letter thus: “May our Blessed Mothers pray for us all and may God Bless America!”

Amen.

APROPOS — “We may not all see eye to eye, but we can see heart to heart.”

— Naomi Hester