I LOVE the Golden Girls. Blanche, Sophia, Dorothy, and Rose are like my long lost friends from another lifetime. Almost like a ritual, I check in with them each evening as I wind down from the day. I know every word to the series’ iconic theme song, Thank You for Being a Friend!” I can place just about every episode in the correct season and quote lines by heart.
The Golden Girls were trailblazers. The television show tackled social issues well before society discussed them openly. They were challenged with opportunities to grow in how they lived with neighbors, immigrants, houseless, hungry, HIV, LGBTQI, interracial relationships, aging, illness, and death. Either through Dorothy’s brand of sarcastic wit, Rose’s Pollyanna-ish St. Olaf stories, Blanche’s Southern Belle-ish twist, or Sophia’s Sicilian “Picture This” illustrations, the girls’ wisdom solved the problem of the day.
The Golden Girls also taught us that sometimes the best way to move through a situation is to just resist the temptation to speak the first words that come to mind. They also teach us that sometimes we need help to practice restraint in sharing our opinions and knee-jerk reactions. We are #wise when we heed the nudging of the Holy Spirit to resist the temptation to speak words that do harm or are not helpful to people or situations. We are #wise when we recognize and follow the Holy Spirit’s urging to be still or be quiet. We are #wise when we trust the Holy Spirit to lead us – in word and in deed.
Dear Lord, lead us not into temptation. Deliver us from ourselves. Deliver us when we feel the need to make remarks that do harm, that disparage, that lack integrity, that taunt, and that create fear. Holy Spirit, make us be #wise people who follow God’s call to kindness, gentleness, and self-control. Holy Spirit, be a muzzle on our mouths when we need one. Amen.
Jasmine Rose Smothers 