Our Very Own Rosa Parks

Considering we are Yankees, live in a multi-cultural community, attend Catholic school and its the 21st Century, the following story was somewhat shocking to me.

Mom, C and H told E today that she couldn't be in their fairy club because she had dark skin.  They said I could be but not her.  I told them I didn't want to be a fairy if E couldn't.

I told them to let her in, that the color of her skin didn't matter, but they kept saying she couldn't be in.

When it was clear the girls were not going to let it go, Amanda went to the next lunch table to get her big sister.  After some begging, Avery finally went over and told the girls to be nice to E.  When they continued, Avery told Amanda she should tell the teacher.

Once the mean girls had been sent to the principal's office, Amanda needed to tend to a sad E.

Amanda is a gifted encourager and is generous in her praise (sometimes it could even be construed as random ramblings, but she is ever sincere. :)

I told E, E, I wish I had dark skin.  Dark skin is good so you can hide from robbers.  If you have dark skin you can't even really see people in the dark.  Actually, dark skin is usually more useful.

I was so proud of my girls.  Later as I was thinking it over, I was thanking God for the church that we go to and the vast diversity there that our kids have been exposed to.  Then even later I was thinking, wait...we have a person with "dark skin" right here living in our house.  And THEN I thought, we have people on both sides of our family with "dark skin".

But they are not people with dark skin, they are people...and precious family members.

Shaun fit in a little MLK education, explaining the I Have a Dream speech, particularly the passage:

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

Praying that is how our children will always judge people.

That was earlier this week...today we got a call from Amanda's teacher...

The kids were in the library reading a book with Mrs. Church about Santa Claus when Amanda raised her hand and said, 'Santa Claus is NOT real...neither is the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy.'

Oy, the adventures!

 Peter fairly exploded with his good news: “It’s God’s own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you’re from...

Acts 10:34