My sisters and I lead very different lives, which is to say they do really cool things and I write about them.
One is an Emmy winning producer, and the other a Teacher of the Year. They spice up our chats, both live and via text..
Take, for instance, our recent conversation about Sydney Poitier, a man I have admired since I first saw A Raisin in the Sun.
I consider myself a long-time fan. In fact, I’d recently watched Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner for probably the fifth time and was really pleased to see how well that movie has held up.
My sister Jenny, meanwhile, has not only met him, but she texted that he also gifted her with an autographed leather first-edition of his book, The Measure of a Man.
“It was an amazing experience,” she said. “Just a wonderful person. We shot the interview at Spago in L.A. He walked to the location from his house alone and just came in and sat down.”
The thing is, Jenny’s text crossed with Kathy’s, which read:
“You know he’s Keith’s distant cousin, right?”
I mean, who are these people?
They each had to stop and read the other’s text again.
“Wait, what?” they wrote.
Then, Kathy reminded us that her husband Keith, who has an amazing life story of his own, is a Bahamian American, and he still has family on the islands.
Keith’s cousin Hazel has a great picture with their mutual cousin Sydney, whose last name the family pronounces Por-Teer.
They sent pictures along with their stories.
I’m pleased to share these tidbits from the Little Girls as a tribute to Sir with Love.
In his nearly 95 years, Sydney Poitier built quite a legacy of art and diplomacy. I’m going to treat myself to a few more of his movies this weekend, and a couple of chats with my sisters as well.
He delivered the message effectively …. a respected professional in his trade …