Stilling the Voices

This morning I got up thanking the Lord for a beautiful day, for Fall temperatures, for time to think, for a beautiful place to stay this weekend. I feel equally blessed to be a part of a community of individuals who inspire me all the time. Today, I feel rich. Not monetarily, not in material, but in life. As I am getting ready to depart, I met an 80-year-old lady named Anne in the parking lot who was just a joy! Why she decided that I was one to strike up a conversation with today is beyond me, but I am thankful that she did.

She talked about her beliefs, politics, family, young people, and current affairs. This lady took an interest in my life and what I was doing for young people because she believes that they need to be focused on different things in their lives other than themselves. I told her that current events in my English classes are a part of discussions; therefore, I expect my students to have some idea of what’s going on in the world. Anne told me about her grandchildren who are very sheltered, and she wishes that her daughter and son-in-law would let them watch the news and teach and explain to them the very things that may someday have a great impact on their lives. 

I told her about my mother and where she lives and how so many of the residents either don’t have families or families who don’t come to visit. In an effort to get some of my students to think of the approaching holiday seasons, I have given them the sock challenge. Each student is to bring a pair of socks for a resident at the retirement home. I told them to think about the joy that an elderly person would have over a pair of socks, and they are responsible for the smile that will come. Anne thought that was a great idea, and we continued to converse about so many things (including my old soul). I chuckled. 

Over the years I have explained to students the meaning of being rich. It is not about the size of the house, the money in the bank, the designer clothing brand, or the travel to exotic places. These are all material things that are here today and could very well be gone tomorrow. I asked students to put themselves in the position of students in other countries and their perspectives of students here. It was cause for meaningful conversations and reflections on what we could and could not live without. It was a lesson in stepping out on the perimeter and looking inward. Anne and I continued our conversation about the pitiful care and respect for the elderly, those receiving disability, and those living on a fixed income. My conversation with Anne reminded me of a piece of writing that has been lingering in my journal since my discussion with students about what students in other countries want and what we take for granted. In my conversation with Anne, I am reminded and feel the need to remind my students about their riches.

I am five

I am seven

I am twelve

That makes me a man

Old enough to steal

Old enough to kill

Old enough not to feel

Old enough to like it.               

I am five

I am seven

I am twelve

I love going to school

Always worrying if today will be my last day

Of being free to simply blend and learn,

Appreciating everything before me

I am a child

And a soldier in an army

Avoiding death

And staying alive

Quenching my thirst with blood

Never blinking twice

Or shedding a tear

I am five

I am seven

I am twelve

I am a child

I want the right to be a kid

With a family trying to protect me

Trying to shelter me from the world

Trying to be the encourager

So that I don’t give in to fear and hopelessness.

I am brave

I am a warrior

I am a child who shows no fear

But I know God and cannot tell.

I am a child who constantly looks

Over my shoulder

Forever facing mortality

Yet, I cannot cry

Because it’s seen as weak.

This is my life.

I am a child

Yearning for freedom 

For opportunity,

In a land of milk and honey,

Dreaming of a perfect future

Absorbed with the idea that

I can live a good life.

I am five

I am seven

I am twelve

With a desire to learn and dream

And not have nightmares

About abduction, torture, poverty, or death

I want to live to become an adult,

A husband,

A father,

A friend.

I am a child

I am a survivor

I am a female

I have nothing

Seeing no end to this war we fight

Knowing that I may die young    

But this is my world

And I live in it.       

We are five

We are seven

We are twelve

We look at you

In your world,

You are a child.

You are a teenager.

You are an adult.

You have everything.

You appreciate nothing.

Unaware of war,

Feeling no repercussions from it,

Never feeling hopelessness

In a world that is all about you.

Your wants,

Your dreams

Your sense of entitlement.

You have a place in your world.

I am

Unseen,

Unrecognized,

Almost invisible,

     But like you,

We are children,

We walk,

We pray,

Remember us.

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. ¹⁸ Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹ In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

—I Timothy 6:17-19​​​​​​ (NIV)

Copyright ©️ 2021 by CrayDawg, Inc.