Doriane
By Tamara Ellsworth Francis
We arrived on the 2nd. Our Uber driver at the airport informed us that in Washington D.C., passengers have to load their own luggage into the vehicle. My husband kindly offered to tip him for extra help, but we were then told that he “didn’t want no tip.” We loaded our own luggage in and out of said vehicle, and my husband tipped him anyway.
On the Fourth of July, we lined up with thousands in the shade along Constitution Avenue to enjoy the parade, a first for us. As ‘America the Beautiful’ was playing on the speakers, reminding all of how blessed we are, an older gentleman was blasting rap music in protest as he walked around the various citizens dressed in their red, white, and blue colors. A gentleman next to us said in a deep Southern drawl, “That does not match.” Later, a group yelled their protest, carrying an upside-down American flag. Generally, public virtue won the day, and people were kind.
As the afternoon elapsed, we spontaneously visited Arlington Cemetery and were fortunate to witness the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which was deeply moving and ceremonial. Trying to catch our dinner reservation, we ordered an Uber intended to take us to our hotel; however, just as it was pulling up, a man and his family appeared out of nowhere, ran in front of us with their faces covered, and ducked into the car. The Uber, which was meant for us and on our credit card, disappeared from our sight. We were billed for the ride of this family, who obviously changed the intended route as we observed their ride from my husband’s phone. This was when a sweet moment happened. My husband ordered another Uber. This chauffeur was from West Africa. We exchanged pleasantries, and then as we were driving through traffic, she started singing a song from home. It was soulful, and even though we could not understand all the words, it felt beautiful, and the car was filled with love. It touched us to the core. Lucky for us, per road closures, it took longer to get to our hotel. We were able to spend ten extra minutes with this woman who radiated goodness. She shared with us that she had travel plans to Alabama, but had been terrified to fly after actually seeing the mid-air collision last January, of the AA flight 5342 and the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, over the Potomac River. She remembered it being 8:47 at night as she happened to look up while on her way to an Uber pick-up. She said it scared her so much that she has not been able to sleep peacefully for a very long time. We were able to commiserate on such unfortunate circumstances with her, and as she left us at our hotel, her final pleasantry was, “God be with you.” We said our goodbyes with a prayer of hope for her.
There is so much good in this world, and Doriane, our Uber driver, shared part of that light by singing her songs of praise. Jesus Christ’s light and love are available to all. We may have no idea what is really going on in the lives of people we meet along our journey, but we can seek the virtuous, lovely, the good report, and praiseworthy. We can choose how we respond to unexpected outcomes of our day. To Doriane, the protesters, the frustrated gentleman giving us a line, to the family of four who needed our Uber ride, the loved ones of those who were involved in that horrific accident over the Potomac River, and to all those suffering so many difficult things, may you find that Jesus, the Christ, our Redeemer, the Son of God. He loves you, knows you, and wants to give you peace.
The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
The Lord make his face shine upon thee,
And be gracious unto thee:
The Lord Lift up his countenance upon thee,
And give thee peace.
Works Cited:
Bates, Katharine Lee. "America the Beautiful." Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1985, p. 338.
"The Articles of Faith." The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1983. The 13th Article of Faith, “We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonitions of Paul – We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things”.
“Aviation Investigation Preliminary Report – DCA25MA108.” National Transportation Safety Board, 29 Jan. 2025, www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Documents/DCA25MA108%soPrelim.pdf. (Accessed 08/02/2025).
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Num. 6. 24-26 (Accessed 08/03/2025).
“Waterlogue.” Image by the author taken Mall across from the Washington Memorial, July 2, 2025. Author’s collection.