Looking back over our lifetime, most of us can probably think of one or two people who have served as a role model—whose courage, character, and compassion made a positive, lasting impression. Let me introduce you to one such lady who stands out in my life.
Mrs. Toles was a Christian and a churchgoer. And, as a black woman in the South, during the difficult days of segregation, she was a true role model in our particular church—although, being a predominately white congregation, many of our members may not have recognized her example at the time.
My husband and I got to know Mrs. Toles on our drives together to and from church. She shared bits and pieces of her life-story with us. Once, while passing by the governor’s mansion in the middle of our large city, Mrs. Toles pointed to the building and said, very softly, “A governor owned my daddy.” My heart melted.