Monday, January 19, 2009

Go Ahead...Make a Difference Today.


"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." MLK Jr.

Big "Happy Birthday" to Martin Luther King, Jr. A bit belated according to the Wee Wild One who wanted to go to school today...he didn't understand why he shouldn't go since they celebrated on Thursday...you know...MLK's actual birthday. I am so with him...celebrate at school and don't skip a day...I hope I don't have to make a cake. I am not a baker, perhaps I could make a nice chili or pasta dish. 

OK that is not the point...I know. I will spend time today (as I do on many other occasions) with the Wild Ones talking about human rights. It is a hard concept for them to understand at this time in their lives. They don't live in a time or area where they see problems of the magnitude that MLK was addressing. The best I can do is show them examples in their own little home (don't freak, we also talk about the civil rights movement, the constitution and how to help others in need). For example, it is a right for everyone in our family to have a warm place to sleep, food in the fridge and lots of hugs and kisses. In other families these things don't happen and that is wrong. If we don't see it happen or are not affected by it, does that mean we should ignore it, take our life for granted and feel lucky? Or should we come together as a family, a community and a country and fight for the rights of these children? We have started small...working within our community on these issues (we have not figured out how to tackle them all) and hope that we can make a difference. 

Perhaps some of these issues could be construed as privlages, but in our house they are a right...privlages come with responsibility and age...like eating ice cream on the couch when the Wild Ones have all gone to bed.