I HAVE A DREAM......

Pretty amazing discussion while we ate dinner tonight. I think it started with a discussion on the Revolutionary War which led to a discussion on the Civil War which led Tem to tell us everything he knows about Abraham Lincoln which then led to talking about Martin Luther King Jr. Following so far?

So we decided that we had to stop everything and watch the "I have a dream" speech. Tem and Tessa were so interested in everything he was saying! And we talked about his assassination and watched the news clips and talked about slavery and racism and peaceful protests and on and on......And Tessa kept asking "WHY?" to everything!! If you've talked to her recently, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Like HOW in the world could a white man think it was okay to have a black man for a slave?? And HOW in the world could anyone ever think that one person has more rights than another based on color??

As Phil and I talked and listened, we were both hit with thoughts and memories of the '60s and how we never would have dreamed we would be here today, mama and papa to two little Ethiopian children. We both always cared about civil rights and equality but never thought it would affect us so personally. It matters so much to me that my children are treated fairly and have the same opportunities as other children. And I am speaking about all six of my children, who are all so different from each other and have different strengths and weaknesses. How could we possibly value one of them more than another?

In my fifty years of life, I think I have seen a lot of progress in the area of equal rights for all people, but I know we have a long way to go. I am thankful that MLK Jr. had a dream and although he didn't get to the "promised land" he did have a vision.

Oh, and our dinner conversations really aren't always this deep. Just in case you were wondering:)