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| My brilliant estudiantes :) |
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| Oh, the fun they had. I could hear their giggles swooping down the slide ahead of them. It was awesome! |
Jul 27, 2016
summer fun!
Jul 11, 2016
Jul 8, 2016
Jul 1, 2016
Lucy shoots straight.
We talked about baby Moses tonight before bed and read about his mother desperately trying to save him.
The book said that the Israelite were slaves. I asked you, "What are slaves?"
"They have to do everything," you replied.
"That's right. They have to work and work. It's not right and not fair. They were strangers in that land and had no power, and the people in power did not do the right thing. They made them slaves, and God does not want that--it's wrong! All people are made by God and all people are precious!"
(I'd been praying for an opportunity to introduce the history of slavery in the U.S., which is a heart-breaking thing to discuss, but I thought it might come up at school and I want to be the "teller-of-hard-true-things" for her. It's part of my Mama-job.)
"And there are places even now with slaves. It's so sad."
"Like where, Mama?"
"Like parts of India, parts of Africa... There were even slaves in the U.S. a long time ago. But they knew it wasn't right and they stopped it. I'm so happy they stopped that awful thing here."
"Who stopped it, Mama?"
"Abraham Lincoln! The President you talked about in pre-school. He said, 'No more of this in the U.S.!' I'm so glad he did that."
She pondered, "Abraham Lincoln... the 16th. What about George Washington? George Washington didn't care?"
So astute, my dear. You went for the jugular. A question that sums up so much. Of course slavery was outlawed, but why on earth did it take so long? He didn't care, no. Not about that. And he should have. And so should have numbers 2 and 3 and so on. People matter. Always have, always will. When people's lives are de-valued and their rights are cut off, it's just so despicably wrong. So while our fore-fathers got it right with the words "all men are created equal" they didn't actually follow through. They didn't treat all men equally. They mis-used their power, and our country has paid for it through many, many griefs.
So my introductory history lesson went well. I delivered a nice little capsule of information, wrapped in positive thought about the good news that there is no slavery here now. And my little thinker, 5 years old, all tucked in with Ducky and a sleep cap, piped up with one question that has left me pondering injustice and how it was that so many people who claimed to know Jesus stood passively by while slavery flourished here for hundreds of years. You slumber. I ponder. I look forward to the education you're giving me, Lucy Joy. As always, you're amazing.
*PS I share this private conversation because I think it's awesome how she thinks. But this is not appropriate subject matter for anyone else, so don't mention any of this to her. Thanks!
*PPS I wrote this when it happened, but didn't post it then. In the next several weeks, I thought about this conversation often, as our nation faced some of the very griefs brought about by our ugly history of slavery and devaluation of whole groups of people. The grief is real, and the solutions are not simple. I'm praying hard for real racial peace.
The book said that the Israelite were slaves. I asked you, "What are slaves?"
"They have to do everything," you replied.
"That's right. They have to work and work. It's not right and not fair. They were strangers in that land and had no power, and the people in power did not do the right thing. They made them slaves, and God does not want that--it's wrong! All people are made by God and all people are precious!"
(I'd been praying for an opportunity to introduce the history of slavery in the U.S., which is a heart-breaking thing to discuss, but I thought it might come up at school and I want to be the "teller-of-hard-true-things" for her. It's part of my Mama-job.)
"And there are places even now with slaves. It's so sad."
"Like where, Mama?"
"Like parts of India, parts of Africa... There were even slaves in the U.S. a long time ago. But they knew it wasn't right and they stopped it. I'm so happy they stopped that awful thing here."
"Who stopped it, Mama?"
"Abraham Lincoln! The President you talked about in pre-school. He said, 'No more of this in the U.S.!' I'm so glad he did that."
She pondered, "Abraham Lincoln... the 16th. What about George Washington? George Washington didn't care?"
So astute, my dear. You went for the jugular. A question that sums up so much. Of course slavery was outlawed, but why on earth did it take so long? He didn't care, no. Not about that. And he should have. And so should have numbers 2 and 3 and so on. People matter. Always have, always will. When people's lives are de-valued and their rights are cut off, it's just so despicably wrong. So while our fore-fathers got it right with the words "all men are created equal" they didn't actually follow through. They didn't treat all men equally. They mis-used their power, and our country has paid for it through many, many griefs.
So my introductory history lesson went well. I delivered a nice little capsule of information, wrapped in positive thought about the good news that there is no slavery here now. And my little thinker, 5 years old, all tucked in with Ducky and a sleep cap, piped up with one question that has left me pondering injustice and how it was that so many people who claimed to know Jesus stood passively by while slavery flourished here for hundreds of years. You slumber. I ponder. I look forward to the education you're giving me, Lucy Joy. As always, you're amazing.
*PPS I wrote this when it happened, but didn't post it then. In the next several weeks, I thought about this conversation often, as our nation faced some of the very griefs brought about by our ugly history of slavery and devaluation of whole groups of people. The grief is real, and the solutions are not simple. I'm praying hard for real racial peace.
Jun 25, 2016
Pap's first selfie
(and a bonus story: This is Pap's Father's Day card from Lucy. She wrote Holy Spirit on it, scheming that if he said it out loud, it would start Nana singing a song from the radio called Holy Spirit. When she gets going, Lucy and Pap cover their ears and retreat. So, she executed her joke well, and Pap said it and Nana sang and they fled. Pretty funny little girl!)
Jun 10, 2016
little librarian
We went to the library today. Oh, how we love the library.
(Side note: The library summer reading kickoff was great and this pic of Lucy at the dress-up photo booth was in the paper this week!)
She asked for my card, and then typed out my first and last name on the keyboard (a treat to use a real computer!).
She "scanned" in the books, with delightful commentary all the while.
"Mo Willems? I just love that book" "This looks like a nice story." When an Elephant and Piggie book fell open, she giggled at the Elephant, Gerald. "Oh, Gerry!" she said.
(Side note: The library summer reading kickoff was great and this pic of Lucy at the dress-up photo booth was in the paper this week!)
After I pick books for me and we pick books for her, Lucy asked me to come and check out with her.
She "scanned" in the books, with delightful commentary all the while.
"Mo Willems? I just love that book" "This looks like a nice story." When an Elephant and Piggie book fell open, she giggled at the Elephant, Gerald. "Oh, Gerry!" she said.
I think she'd make a very fine librarian :)
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