"How Can Anyone Not Love~A Child"

Everyone doesn't have children and may not feel the same way I do about them, I understand that. However, I loved children even before I became a parent. It's just the way I was taught when I was a child to love everbody. I did not realize at the time, and only as recently as this week, that this one concept: "Love Everbody," is the closest thing to freedom and liberation that I know. This is what I see when I look into the eyes of a child...the absence of hate and the

presense of trust, hope, innocence and love. There is a light that shines when a child looks at you and smile. Nothing is more hurtful or painful to see than when that light is diminished or extinguished.

The news, is filled with brutality, killings, robbings, arrests, and every other unlawful event under the sun! Often I retreat to facebook for cute pictures of babies, puppies and nature as an escape from the bitter norm. Late last night as I was reading posts, I came

across one from a Grandfather and his granddaughter. He told of an incident that this 7th grader had experience at school. To sum it up, as the teacher was discussing an assignment about writing a poem, she said to this little girl: "Maybe you can write a poem about your weave," and the students in the class all laughed at her. The little girl did not remark but instead she wrote a poem about the desperate need to get away from this place. She spoke of her feelings eating her up inside, and she wished to be invisible. To be more specific in details, the student was one of only two black students in the class, the teacher was a white female. What makes this wrong? Looking from the less obvious, let's begin with the fact that the teacher in any classroom is in a position of authority and leadership and is there to teach, inspire, motivate and encourage and engage each student in learning. Instead, she set an example that her act was an acceptable behavior for the other students to follow. Next, as a

female who was once a girl in 7th grade, she should be fully aware of the difficulty that many girls face at this stage of awkwardness, feeling inadequate, insecure with low-self esteem. Her,

the teacher's behavior was inappropriate and wrong on every level. Last but certainly not least,

it was a racist, hateful and horrible thing to do to a child. When a person's racism, especially a woman who is the barer of children, runs so deep that a child becomes a target, that individual is not fit to be in any position where they encounter or interact with young, defensless, impressionable minds. That teacher's behavior is poisonous to each and every student in that classroom. She should never, ever be allowed to teach anywhere.

Parents, please understand, we do not live in a society where it is ever alright to surrender our children over to anyone, even at school. Be present in these children's lives, in their classrooms at school. Support the school activities that they are involved in, show up for PTSA meetings and parent/teacher conferences, be these children's voices. When you are present, you can observe first hand, your child's behavior, participation, and I can assure you,

your presence will impact the way their teachers interact with them. If your work schedule proposes a problem, just remember this, you get sick leave and vacation time, there is no

better use of that time than to invest in your child. If you don't support them consistently, who do you think will? There is absolutely nothing more important in your life than your child! Nothing!!!

I never engage in the finger pointing thing: it's the teacher's fault/it's the parent's fault. Finding who to blame is not important, that's a smoke screen for keeping us from focusing on the quality or lack there of of the education for our children. Let not one day go by without asking how was your day at school? Talk to them but more importantly, allow them to talk to

you about the good, the bad, and even the ugly.

I decided to write this post because when I read that little girl's poem, I felt I had to reach out to her to let her know that things are going to be all right, better, and for her not to loose hope. When our children loose hope, often, we loose them, which is not an acceptable option ever. I told her she was beautiful, because she is, and that I never want her to feel the need to be invisible again because God made her and she's never alone and she has a purpose for being here. "We need you here."

Children, (ALL) children, are our blessings from God. I believe he expects us to protect them, take care of them, and do the best possible job of parenting and teaching them. If we succeed at everything except this, then we truly are not successful. Our children are our legacies, not the bank account, home, car.boat , six pack stomachs, butts, boobs and clothes.

Let us clear our perspectives, and know our true priorities because nothing will ever be greater in our lives than our children. How could anyone...not love a child!!!? We can do better, we can be better. Be blessed.

"Ann"