<p align="left"><em><strong>My Feet Are Off   The Ground</strong></em><strong><br /> <em>From Tyler Perry</em></strong><br /> <em><br /><img class="caption" src="images/stories/tyler_perry.jpg" border="0" alt="Tyler Perry" title="Writer and Actor - Tyler Perry" hspace="7" align="left" />This morning I awoke and was so   frustrated about all of the stuff that I'm dealing with in trying to get this   studio open.</em><br /> <em>I was about to open my mouth &amp;start complaining when I remembered something that happened to   me a year ago.</em> <br /> <br /> <em>I was walking to my car when this woman who appeared to be   homeless started walking towards me. I'm ashamed to say this but I thought, 'I   don't feel like being hustled today.' Then I got quickly convicted. I felt   guilty so I started digging in my pocket for some money. As she got closer I   noticed that she had the kindest eyes that I had ever seen. </em></p>
<p align="left"><em>As I was   reaching into my pocket she started to speak. I thought, 'Here goes the sales   pitch'. She said 'Excuse me sir, I need some shoes. Can you help me?' My eyes   filled with water because I remember being out on the streets and having only   one pair of run over shoes. I was taken aback for a second.<br /> <br /> I took her   inside the studio and had my wardrobe people find shoes in her size. As she put   the shoes on she started crying, praising God and thanking Jesus, and saying,   'My feet are off the ground! My feet are off the ' ground!     Several of the   wardrobe people started crying. I was crying. But I never forgot those words.   'My feet are off the ground!' I thought, 'Wow! All she wanted was some shoes.'   She quickly disappeared and never asked me for a dime. I realized that I still   had the money in my hand so I went out looking for her. She was gone just that   quick so I looked all around the neighbourhood for her. I found her standing on   a corner looking down at her shoes, still crying. I was so touched. I asked her   how she had gotten homeless. She told me that she had AIDS and that she was   waiting to get into a shelter.. She said that her family had turned their backs   on her and that she had no place to go, but she knew that God would make a way   for her. I said to myself, 'He just did</em><br /> <br /> <em>' Her faith and her praise moved me. I   took her to a nearby hotel and put her up until she was able to get on her feet   I had someone that worked for me to check on her from time to time and to make   sure that she had food and clothes. After about a month or so we lost touch, but   I never forgot her.<br /> <br /> This past summer I was shooting 'Daddy's Little Girls' and   this woman walks up to me smiling. I didn't recognize her face, but her eyes   were familiar. She had on a really nice dress and her hair was done. It was her!   She told me that the little help that I had given her had changed her   life.</em><br /> <em>She was in a house now and doing very   well. I said all of that to say this. After I met this woman, every time I think   about <span style="text-decoration: underline;">complaining </span>and<span style="text-decoration: underline;"> mumbling </span>I remember, 'My <span style="text-decoration: underline;">feet</span> are off the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">ground</span>!'<br /> <br /> I wanted to share this with you just to let you know that   when I say that I am thankful for you, I mean it. And when I say that you are a   blessing to me, I mean it.</em><br /> <br /> <em>We take so much for granted sometimes that   I just wanted all of you to know that I am grateful to God for you every day.   Thank you for being in my life.<br /> <br /><strong> ~Tyler Perry</strong></em></p>