I was flipping through one of the books that was required of us to read while in one of my classes at WU for Human Services. I know it was for one of Diane's classes but thats all I know. She always had us thinking about the bigger picture and what it REALLY meant. I miss that. I've been trying to find time for myself to continue those things.
The books is called "The Impossible Will Take A Little While: A Citizens Guide To Hope In A Time Of Fear" edited by Paul Rogat Loeb.
A Prayer To the God of All Children by-Marian Wright Edelman
founder and president of Children's Defense Fund (www.childrensdefense.org)
O God of the children of Afganistan, Pakistan, and India
Of Israel, Iraq, and Iran, Jerusalem, and Jericho
Of South and North Korea, Burundi, and Rwanda
Of South Africa, South Carolina, San Francisco, and San Antonio
Help us to love and respect and act now to protect them all.
O God of black and brown and white and albino children
and those all mixed together
Of children who are rich and poor and in between
Of children who speak English and Russian and Hmong and
Spanish and Chinese and Hebrew and Arabic and languages
our ears cannot discern
Help us to love and respect and act now to protect them all.
O God of the child prodigy and child prostitute,
of the child of rapture and the child of rape
Of run or thrown away children who struggle every day
without parent or place or friend or future
Help us to love and respect and act now to protect them all.
O God of children who can walk and talk and har
and see and sing and dance and jump and play and
of chldren who wish they could but can't
Of children who are loved and unloved, wanted and unwanted
Help us to love and respect and act now to protect them all.
O God of beggar, beaten, abused, neglected, homeless,
AIDS-, drug-, violence-, and hunger-ravaged children,
Of children who are emotionally and physically and mentally fragile, and
Of children who rebel and ridicule, torment and taunt
Help us to love and respect and act now to protect them all.
O God of children of destiny and of despair, of war and of peace,
Of disfigured, diseased, and dying children,
Of children without hope and of children with hope to spare and to share
Help us to love and respect and act now to protect them all.
This thought not only makes me smile to think everyday I am making a difference in a childs life but also their parents who are just bigger children. I believe everyone is innocent until I am proven otherwise. Those who have done wrong can change and in my mind will one day. My hope for them comes from my own innocence. I believe that those who are doing wrong need to be shown that someone believes in them, is there to listen to them and help cheer them on when they are doing something right. If all you hear is negativity whether it be a child or an adult, that is what you will believe; all the negativism. If you are being praised of your efforts whether you succeed or not, doesn't that just give you hope to try again? I think it should if it doesn't. Why do we have to think that all homeless will take our money to use for booze or drugs? I realize that some would, but maybe that is not the one I am currently driving by. Maybe that person is only looking for ONE person to stop and show they care, and I am that person. By all means I dont have enough money to stop every time I see someone but it tugs at my heart knowing that they are out there whether its a scam or not.
I think we as society have moved into a dark direction. We only care about ourselves. Nobody stops to see if you're ok. If you see someone stuck on the side of the road you just assume that they already have help and if you are the person on the side of the road and a stranger does stop you immediately lock your door and only crack your window to protect yourself from them because you assume everyone is out to get you. We dont know our neighbors anymore, I am guilty of this. Instead of walking next door for a cup of sugar, we either go without or we drive back to the store. I guess the older I get I just realize that just as my parents and grandparents and those before them have said, "its not what it used to be" but it doesn't have to be. We can change it, and when we think its impossible. Its not. we need to stand together and help each other out instead of being selfish. Courage is contagious.
