Repost @born.from.my.heart
tags: @tribeandtrue @letterlylove ・・・
I'll never forget when Eli was five, we closed the book we'd been reading about Martin and he said; "Mom! you are white and I am brown and that means Martin made it so you could adopt me!" And today after watching the famous "I have a dream" speech, Eli grabbed his little brother's hand and said "Look! Martin's dream came true." It really is beautiful when you sit back and think about it.
And yet.
Here I am. Half a century later, unraveling some of those same prejudices Dr. king fought against from my own son's heart when he walks through the door after school. It kills me that I have to tell one of the humans that I love most in this world that his ancestors had to survive some of the worst America had to offer and that many of his race still are. And that he will too.
Most days it feels impossible to convince him of his value when more often than not, his worth is being measured by the color of his skin. It feels almost futile to tell him how far we have come, when he is exposed to so much backwards thinking each day.
I am still trying to figure that one out.
In the meantime, I hope I'm teaching my boys that like Dr. King, we can try our best to live in a state of relentless forgiveness for those who are still failing to recognize that different is beautiful in everyone and we all have something unique and valuable to offer. And like Martin, I hope I can teach them to never stop defending those who are being mistreated because of their differences. Including themselves.
We are all the same kind of different and the world is so much more beautiful because of it.
I am forever grateful for the birth of a man and many others like him who started us down this path of love and acceptance. I am grateful to be able to tell my son that there are so many out there that haven't stopped blazing this trail for him. And that we can continue to invite others to join us on working to change the world for him.
#mlkday #martinlutherkingjr #socialjustice #socialworker #lcsw #momentsoflife #socialworkersunite #socialjusticewarrior #equalityforall #ihaveadream
