What A Wonderful World...

Saturday afternoon, while listening to the radio, I had a discussion with my husband about who the band was. When I told him who it was, I remembered that the lead singer of Social Distortion had dropped dead pretty suddenly. Our son heard our conversation and when Daddy got out of the car to step into the grocery store, he asked me how that guy had died. Well, it was a long time ago and many song lyrics since and I couldn't remember all the details, but it was like he was taking out the trash and they found him dead in the driveway. My son, who is only 6, then asked me how Martin Luther King Jr. had died. WOW! Ok.

I explained to him that Dr. King was assassinated on an April day by someone who did not agree with what he was trying to do. I went on to tell him about slavery and Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. He listened to me very closely...taking all of what I was saying in. He barely blinked. He questioned me why someone could hate another person that they don't know for doing something that was so good? Another, WOW! I told my son that there are some people out there who judge people by color or religion or sex or decisions that they have made in their lives. This brought me to write the following:

A Letter To My Children

My beautiful loves,

I have heard all 4 of your heartbeats, so I know that you have a magic living inside you. Three of you lived inside of me and that is how I know that God truly exists. One of you came to by sheer luck and you are no different to me than any of the other children in my home.

Because I know you all have hearts, I know that you also have a great capacity to love others and I hope that you share your heart often. In fact, share it every single day, if only to say something nice to someone who might be having a bad day or hug a friend of family member who is sad. You do not know this yet, because you are young, but to love someone is truly the greatest gift you can give. It comes wrapped in the perfect gift bag, YOU! I would tell you that someday your hearts will get broken and to be careful of love, but don't. if you want to love...love! If you want to laugh....laugh! If you need to cry...cry! Crying only makes you stronger at the end of a long day.

There are real "bad guys" out there. Some who hate us because we love God. Some hate us because of our color or lack thereof. Some hate just because they have nothing better to do with their time. These people are not worth a second thought. Do not fear them because that is giving them what they want. Be strong. Be Americans. But do not be afraid. We do not control the destiny that God has set up for us and to try to control the uncontrollable is pointless. My point is, do not be afraid of the unknown, for it can make your heart weary, your mind wander and your body weak. "The only thing we have to fear is, fear itself!"

So my beautiful children, remember that one day I will be gone. That you will one day be the parent and faced with many obstacles, but those who be outweighed by joy...trust me on this one.

My love and heart is with you always...Mom!

Mirth and Merriment, my friends!