Thursday, July 9, 2009

How is it....

The earlier post was one I was working on a few days ago and chose to finish before I started this one.... this is what was running through my head as I woke up this morning. I was finally able to put to words something that I saw yesterday. Jumping on my soap box now.....

How is it that we can live in a technically advanced society, one where I can chat real time with my girlfriends in Africa, or Calgary. Where I can type and you can read if you so choose seconds after a blog entry is posted. Where social networking sites like Facebook, Myspace and Twitter can help you find friends that even a few years ago were seemingly lost forever. But yet we as a society in general can not master the golden rule..

Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself
Though not found in the Bible deep seeded truth of loving others is. Why is it that things like skin colour, mental health, physical differences or moral choices bring out the worst in people. Makes me crazy! We are all created in the image of God, we are all human beings. Sure we have differences that is what makes the world a more interesting place to live. Face it if you were all like me life would be a whole lot different that you know it now.
Yesterday, Jen, posted this link to a video on her facebook page. As I watched I was speechless, I had no words at all, it played in my head over and over. Shocked that in Canada, a country that prides it's self in being a multi-cultural melting pot of acceptance, violence like this occurs. That one man supposedly only because of his dark skin was taunted and attacked by 3 others because THEY thought he was of less value. My heart ached, for Jen the mother of 2 teens of African American decent who she loves with all her heart. How do you send your boys into a world like this. How do you teach them to be tolerant, accepting and loving if there is a possibility that they too could face such a situation. The only thing you can tell them is rise above it, prove to the world that you are better men, than the likes of those who choose to be bullies. Then hug them, and cover them in TONS of prayer as they learn to walk on their own. Something that so many of us take for granted to a certain extent, our safety and confidence in simply being who we are, because we have white skin.
Or my other friend Marja, who suffers from Bi-polar disorder and has for decades. Fighting not only the challenges of the disease on a personal level, but fighting the stigma attached to it on a global level. She does an amazing job, but she faces challenges and prejudices along the way for sure. Simply because she is different from the normal and she is fighting for those who are often ridiculed in "normal" society. Why? Ignorance, people do not take the time to listen and truly hear the hearts of people who suffer, face it anything that shy's away from the norm makes people uncomfortable. People do not like to be uncomfortable.
Or Joc, an expectant mother of triplets who is laying in a hospital bed trying with all her might to bring these precious lives into the world several weeks down the road. Not now! Who early on in the pregnancy was told that she would have a better chance of delivering healthy babies if she terminated one. Chose to keep all three despite what the medical professionals were telling her. Would those same doctors want to hear some of the same hurtful things they were dishing out if they were in the same situation. Likely not.
I grew up in a home where derogatory names were the norm for defining people of different ethnic backgrounds. I recall quite vividly at a young age knowing it was wrong & asking my dad to stop... (hmm, possibly, this was the beginning of our relationship struggles...)
I was probably 6 or 7. I know it was Grade 1, because I remember the class room, I remember the teacher. I remember one very specific situation that made me think what dad calls people is wrong. There was a new girl in our class. Some of the boys started teasing her because of her dark skin, her long un-cut hair and the clothes she wore. I remember the deep hurt I saw in her eyes, & remember looking at her and a tear slipping from my eye and the smile that lit her face when she knew she had found a friend in me.....
Why is it in a world where we can send people to the moon, or cure diseases, pay people millions to make a movie for sheer entertainment value can not learn to love with out boundaries.
Why is it that we pass down hate to our children so easily but fail to show them how valued they are simply for the amazing miracles that they are.
I hope and pray that my girls have learned that people are of great value, certainly above things. That no matter the colour of their skin, economic class or physical or mental limitations - they have great value.
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you"
John 15;12

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

These things make me smile.

Paper piles are a constant challenge in our house. It can be single sheets, lined or colourfully printed, envelopes that magically appear at our house daily often along with newspapers, printed items off the computer or paper bound in book form. No matter the form it can be found in every room of our house. It is my constant nemesis.

I love to read, and I have a hobby that is very heavily paper themed that given with the fact that I have issues when it comes to tossing out things the girls have created over the years you get the picture. It is everywhere. So this past week I started to tackle the problem, I figured if I take one box or pile a day for a bit I will get a grip by the end of the summer. At least it is a good plan. So far a little progress has been made and the recycling truck was heavier after this past pick up.

The fun thing about sorting paper, is you come across things that make you smile.



Like this gem, circa 1998.
Teryn drew this picture of her and I. Makes me smile big. Love that my ears stick out from my hair and we are both smiling. Check out the arms and legs, at least we seem to have clothes on. But my feet are huge. Too funny! I guess that is the perspective of a 4 year old. Love it.

This one is going to get a frame and will be hanning in my creative space providing inspiration for years to come.!

Then there is this. Shanna's math sheet from this year. When Ashlynn and I returned from Europe Shanna had us all in stitches on the ride home from the airport telling the story of this math assignment. I will chuckle for years and years.


Check out the instructions... Draw the missing line, measure and label the angles... done!
Then the instructions say Name it....
"Names" inside the bubbles..... Oh, my I laugh as I type! Billy, Bob, Joe..... She did just what the instructions said and named each quadrilateral. Too too funny.

The best part is that she told us the story and was killing herself laughing at it the whole time. Shows great self assurance. Man I love this kid.