January 21, 2013

• Full Heart

  The same day as the tragedy unfolded in Newtown, CT, I got a phone call from an administrator at our children’s school. I received a voice mail complete with the statement that “nothing is wrong, don’t worry.” I appreciated that reassurance, even more so than I would have on any other day.

  When I returned the call, I was delighted to find out that our daughter had been chosen as the recipient of the “Light of Hope” award for her school, which honors community service. I was overcome with emotion that day, as was most of the nation. I was thankful to have something so positive to think about amidst all that sadness.

  Today, we spent several hours sitting in an auditorium in a local high school, where the county we live in was holding their annual Martin Luther King Celebration. Our daughter sat towards the front with the other children, each of them either a 5th, 8th, or 12th grader representing their school.

  There were two speakers at the event, both of whom addressed the students directly. The first was the 68 year old daughter of a major civil rights activist from Birmingham, Alabama. She had been a school teacher for 30 years, and did a fantastic job of conveying to the audience what it was like to be a child during that tumultuous time in history. At one point, she asked all the 11 year olds to stand, which included our daughter. She told them, “When I was your age, a bomb was thrown at the church where I lived with my family on Christmas Eve. Do you know how it felt to lose all my toys?” When she was 12, her father was beaten and her mother was stabbed when they tried to take her and her siblings into a school that was dragging its feet on integration. This brave woman reminded the award recipients that they were being honored today for the light they have within them. She begged them not to let it get to their heads, but to use that light to be the best person they can be. She was charismatic and a joy to hear.

  The second speaker was a boy who attends a high school in the community. As I told my kids, he wrote and spoke like a 50 year old man instead of like a 14 year old boy. He was inspirational and eloquent, wise beyond his years. As he stood and addressed the crowd, I’m sure I wasn’t the only person in the room thinking about how proud of him Martin Luther King, Jr., and President Barack Obama would be.

  We missed seeing the Inauguration live, as the ceremony we attended was held at the same time. However, when we got home, our daughter and I sat down and watched the reading of the poem by Richard Blanco, the singing of the national anthem by Beyonce, and the swearing in of the President. By the time I got to the Inaugural Address, our daughter had been all “speeched out,” but she made me a fancy coffee drink to enjoy while I listened to Obama’s words. 

  I am spoiled to be able to spend the day before my birthday watching my oldest child be honored in the way that she was today. As the awardees filed into the room, the master of ceremonies yelled out, “Look at our children! Look at our children!” I dare a mom to keep a dry eye under those circumstances! (Plus, it reminded me that it must be a whole lot more fun to go to a church run by the kinds of ministers who led this event today, as opposed to the Catholic Priests I remember from my youth. Seems like there would be a lot more “handclaps of praise” and a whole lot less guilt in the air.)

  And since tomorrow is my birthday, you must all indulge me in my proud mama sappiness and not mock me in the comments below. HA! Gotcha!

   

  • 5:10 pm
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