Dynamic Yet Consistent

As Beth and I list out our top 10 lists of 10, we come to the discussion of food with day 3.  Here is a list of my favorite dishes.  Beyond #1, there is no particular order.

1. Mom’s Vegetable Soup – Far and away my favorite dish.  When I got married, I made sure my wife added this delectable delight to her stable of regular meals.  Thick and healthy, this slightly spicy soup heats up well and can be eaten for 5-10 meals straight with no complaints!!
2. Lettuce Wraps – Perhaps the famous dish from the classy Chinese chain P.F. Chang’s.  I could eat these alone and be very happy.  We have tried to copy the recipe at home.  Our dish is good, but not the same.
3. Thai Food – I know that is a broad category, but I love the mix of sweetness and spiciness with lots of noodles/rice and fresh vegetables.  Thai food can be bold, light and filling all at the same time.  Two favorites are Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles) and a Green Curry / Coconut milk soup served over rice from our local Thai Restaurant.
4. Sushi – I would consider myself a moderate sushi eater.  I don’t shy away from the raw fish dishes, but at the same time I prefer the rolls with tempura.  My favorite is the Special Roll from Ichiban which is fried shrimp, cream cheese, avocado served with spicy crab on top and special sauces below.
5. Chicken Fajita Gyros – Available at a small shotgun style restaurant just off the square of Bowling Green.  Great mix of flavors on delicious pita bread.  You must have it along with the pita and hummus appetizer.
6. Stuffed Jalapenos – Beth has a recipe that she makes that uses fresh jalapenos (straight from our garden), cuts them in half, and bakes them with a cream cheese and sausage filling.
7. Pizza – But not just any Pizza.  I am talking about a hand tossed masterpiece with thin(ner) crust in the middle and a nice soft crust on the outside edge.  Not too much cheese or sauce, and topped with ham, banana peppers, garlic and onions.  Throw some peppery spices on there and you are good to go.  Honorable mention goes to a good chicken white sauce pizza with lots of garlic.
8. Stew – I love a good thick stew, especially on a cold day.  Lots of bay leaves for flavor along with crushed black peppers, big chunks of potatoes and an abundance of meat makes for a great dish.
9. Mongolian BBQ – I was first introduced to this at a restaurant in Missoula, MT.  Usually it consists of thin slices of meat, noodles, veggies, and your choice of sauces.  You mix it up and then hand it off to have it cooked in front of you.  To make it even better, it usually is all you can eat.
10. Candy – Come on… if you know me, you know my favorite food of all time is candy.  I will eat it all, but I love chewy sweet and sour stuff.  Give me some chewy sweet-tarts, or sour patch kids, or sour watermelon slices and I am golden.  But… don’t leave it laying around if you ever expect to save some for yourself.

We continue with day 2 of our 10 lists on 10 days.  Today, Beth and I have listed the 10 people we would most like to sit and have coffee with.  Of course the consumption of coffee is optional — surely it would make more sense to share a beer with a few of these folks, and others, I would rather talk with as we hiked through nature.  As always, these are in no particular order.

1. Martin Luther King Jr. — Surely no surprise here.  After all, my daughter Mikayla Lillian is named after this civil rights leader.  King is best known for his role in fighting for equal rights for minorities.  However, he was also a passionate pacifist.  He was as opposed to the Vietnam War as he was Jim Crow laws.  I would want to share a drink with him to ask him what issues he saw as most pressing?  Would he concentration on gay rights?  Would he address war and torture?  Would he shift his attention to international issues?For me, MLK embodies the concept of the prophetic imagination (a concept we will explore in a later list).  I still cannot hear his I Have a Dream speech without tearing up.
2. Desmond Tutu – Since we are talking about baby names, I must mention Desmond Tutu.  If our firstborn had been a male, I was advocating for the name Desmond.  Originally we were going to go with Douglas (my middle name), but I realized I would prefer my child to emulate him than me.  Tutu was instrumental in ending apartheid and symbolizes for me how a pastor can lead social change in the name of Christ.  His work on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is awe-inspiring.  I want to know from him, how we can apply these concepts to our daily societal fissures.
3. Bono – I wouldn’t have a string of questions for the lead singer of U2 like I would with many of the others, but in terms of having a good time, hanging out, discussing the ebbs and flows of life, I would think Bono would be the man.  Plus, his lyrics are so deep and harmonize the secular and the sacred.
4. Peter Abelard – Perhaps the most obscure on my list.  Abelard was a tormented theologians in the 12th century (read about him here).  Theologically he is best known for going toe to toe with Anselm over atonement theory.  Abelard advocated for a Moral influence understanding over a substitutionary understanding.  He was quite eccentric and misunderstood.  Here is a paper I have written on him.
5. Henry David Thoreau – I love his unfiltered commentary on life and society.  In addition to his emphasis on self reflection and the awe of creation, he is always honest with his understanding of faith.  I also have been influenced by his thoughts on civil disobedience.
6. Stephen Hawkins – I have been fascinated by theoretical physics since I was in Middle School.  It is only a short jump from physics to philosophy and then to theology.  Hawkins not only provides an entryway into this crazy world, but the way he has approached life’s struggles epitomizes focus and direction.  As you will see in susequent posts, I am convinced quantum physics provides insights into truth.  Here is an approachable clip that will force you to reexamine your understanding of the world.  (Not Hawkins, but he works in the same areas.)
7. John Howard Yoder – deep down I am a Mennonite, I just have not admitted it yet (well except to Brett).  I have learned more from other theologians, but I have yet to find a person who such consistency in their life, faith, theology and philosophy.  Politics of Jesus should be required reading for… well… everyone.
8. N.T. Wright – There is not a simple person who has been more influencial in shaping my theology and understanding of the world and scripture than Bishop N.T. Wright.  I have listened to so many of his lectures I can hear him speak when I read his books.  I find so many of the concepts I regularly explain and rely on come from Wright.  I doubt I could keep up with him, but I would love to drink from the fire hydrant of his knowledge.  Plus, he has a that super cool British accent.  Here is a great resource for other lovers of his work.
9. The Tank Man – Bravery is not something that is planned.  It is not something that is sought out.  It is something that occurs when we stand up for what is just.  I am fascinated by the story of the Tank Man – the young man who stopped a whole line of Chinese tanks through a simply act of resistence.  There are a couple reason he makes my list.  First… I want to know who this person is (to this day, it unknown).  But more importantly, I am drawn to this person because they were able to change the world with simple acts without demanding fame or recognition.
   
10. Jesus – rounding out my list is the God-Man Jesus Christ himself.  I almost didn’t list Jesus.  That is not because I don’t think it would make for excellent conversation, or because I don’t have the ultimate respect, love, and devotion to Jesus.  Rather, it is because I realize I am way too like Peter (see below) and rather than sitting down with a whole list of questions, I would love simply follow Jesus as he navigated the world today.
    

Beth and I are embarking on a 10 day blog series beginning today.  Each day we will post a top 10 list covering a variety of subjects from 10 favorite meals to 10 ideas that define us as people.

This first post we are listing top 10 movies.

Now, for my disclaimer:  I am not claiming these are the top 10 movies of all time, but rather I am listing 10 movies that, a.) I could watch at any time and be happy; b.) if I only had these movies, I would be satisfied; and c.) have impacted me as a person.

Here is the list (in no particular order):

1. Shawshank Redemption – A story of perseverance, improvisation and deep friendship.  It shows the humanity of those on the edges.
2. Fight Club – This movie, perhaps more than any other, demands that the view reexamine life and evaluate what is important and what is superfluous.
3. Top Gun – Considering I have 95% of this movie memorized, it had to make the list.
4. Gandhi – One of the most inspirational movies of all time for me.  I constantly return to the wisdom of Gandhi conveyed in this movie.
5. American History X – One of the first movies that actually “changed my life.”  The story of hate and redemption is tangible.
6. Schindler’s List / Hotel Rwanda– Okay, so I am cheating with two movies here.  Schindler’s list reminds me of the depth of human depravity and Hotel Rwanda reminds me of our tendency we have to constantly hide from this depravity and deny its existence, even in the face of modern genocide.
7. Slumdog Millionaire – The only movie from the last couple years to make the list, and it is well deserving of the honor with its story of global struggles and individual perseverance.
8. Braveheart – The best battle epic of all time.  Makes you cheer for the little guy.
9. Forest Gump – a social commentary framed through the eyes of an ordinary man.
10. Dumb and Dumber – While not nearly of the significance of the movies listed above, in my opinion, this is the best comedy of all time.

This is the third post in a series on the decision Beth and I have made concerning a long-term move to Africa.  In the first post I detailed how the process started and in the second post I walked through the specifics of the nation we are strongly considering: Swaziland.  This post will cover the whys and whats.

Most people are considerate enough to assume we have a reason for going there, so the most frequent question has been “What will you do there?”  In fact, in one conversation I had with an Embassy employee, I was told after explaining our plans that “No one just comes to Swaziland.”  Well, we are hoping that is hyperbole.

The most honest answer to the question of what will we do is quite simply “we don’t know yet.”  It isn’t that we are planning on moving our family 9000 miles away with no plan, but instead, we don’t want to rush our decisions.  We don’t want to align with an organization without first knowing the impact (positive or negative) they are having.  We don’t want to commit to helping with AIDS victims if we would be better suited to work in the educational system.  We don’t want to live in Manzini if we would be a better fit in the eastern plains.  (you get the picture).  So right now we are being very intention about our research.  We are getting to know the groups currently there, and what opportunities may be there for us.  We are speaking with both Americans and Swazi citizens about the needs and resources.  We are investigating job opportunities in the public, private, government and non-governmental sectors.  We are looking at faith-based and secular openings.  Here are a few things we may consider:

• I may apply for work at the University of Swaziland teaching Theology and Religion at the University of Swaziland.
• Beth may try to work in the Ministry of Education to put her special education training to work.
• We both may work in an orphanage working with orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC).
• We may work with an NGO doing AIDS prevention and education.
• I may work in the private sector doing web development while Beth volunteers in the community.
• We may join the Peace Corp.
• We may work as “missionaries” with any number of faith based groups in the country.
• We may figure out these are not the opportunities / needs of the country and do something like sugar cane harvesting… who knows!

I realize that does not answer the “what” question, but I hope you understand our motives.  I fear too many people decide what needs to be done without ever stepping foot in the country or assessing the impact of their decisions.  That is why we are planning a trip there next summer to serve as the capstone of our state-side research.

Now, let me comment a bit on the why of our decision.  The most straight-forward answer is this: we want to experience life outside the United States in a setting that forces us to reexamine our lives.  (so yes, you could say our motivation is primarily selfish).  Despite the fact Beth and I have spent the last 2-3 years trying to simplify our lives and work towards making the world a better place, it is so easy to get caught in the rat race of life and forget there are things larger than us.  As Rob Bell as put it, “one of the greatest dangers of life is assuming our world is the world!”  Put another way, it is easy to get caught up in things that don’t matter when most of the world is struggling to survive.  (Let us not forget every day 30,000 children die of hunger of preventable diseases, while Americans alone throw away 25% of our edible food.)

I was reminded of this tonight while watching Schindler’s list.  At the end of the movie, after the war has ended and the Jews have been freed, everyone there is greatful for the fact that Schindler has saved over 1,000 Jews and he can only weep and wonder about how much more he could have done.  He breaks down when he realizes the gold pin he is wearing could have been used to save one additional life, or his car could have saved 10 more.  He says “why did I keep the car…”

Here is the clip:

We have realized that the questions we ask, and the issues we care about are directly related to our surroundings.  Our goal is not to go somewhere to “fix” things, but rather to be in a place where we are concerned with the things of more significance than what we eat or what we will wear.

The experiencing of living in a country life Swaziland is more than just something Beth and I want to go through.  We want Mikayla’s formative years to occur in a society where the day to day struggles are litterally a matter of life and death, yet where community is something much deeper than who you hang out with when you are not holed up in a comfy suburban home with 1000 channels, a maid and a wardrobe of clothes you never where because they are out of style.

Will it be tough?  I am sure it will be.  Will we miss our friends and family?  Absolutely?  Will we regret it, or encounter problems beyond what we expected? Perhaps.  But, do we feel this is something we must do?  Without doubt.

As for a finish… we are looking at returning in 2019 or 2020.  That would be the year Mikayla would start Middle school. Our rationale is this: we want her to get the best education possible so she can do whatever she wants with her life.  At the same time, we want to return to the US, because we feel this nation has the resources — both financial and individual — to change the course of the world.

As you can tell, we still have a lot to figure out, but I am excited about the direction we are heading.

To wrap things up, I want to give you a few blog links of people who are in Swaziland:

• A Hipster’s Adventures in Swaziland – a researcher on the Swazi judicial system – he does a good job at commenting on the “real world” in Swaziland.
• Mfomfo’s Blog– regular commentary on the shortcomings of the Swazi government.
• Swazi Secrets – Blog – Entrepreneurs who are trying to make a living selling nuts and oils
• Scott in Swaziland – Medical worker
• David in Swaziland – Another medical worker
• Hard Corps – Swaziland– Peace Corp Worker addressing AIDS issues
• Straight from Swaziland – Christian missionary
• Cabrini Ministries in Swaziland – Roman Catholic Mission in Swaziland

See Also:

Kingdom of Swaziland Part I – Decision to Move

Kingdom of Swaziland Part II – Background on the country

Yesterday I posted about the decision Beth and I have made about moving to Africa.  Today I want to take the time to give a brief overview of the country of Swaziland, where we are strongly considering moving.  Tomorrow, I will write a bit about why Beth and I made this decision and what it may look like.

Swaziland is the second smallest mainland country in Africa (trailing only Gambia).  It is landlocked and roughly the size of New Jersey.  It lies to the north-east of South Africa and is surrounded on three sides by that country.  Southern Mozambique is along the eastern border of Swaziland.  The population of the country is 1.1M, which is about the same as Rhode Island (by comparison Kentucky has a population of 4.3M).  That gives a population density of roughly the same as Tennessee, but the differences is that Swaziland is more spread out with its capitol and largest city of Mbabane having only 81,000 people.  Only 4 cities have more than 10,000 people and only 10 are over 4,000.

Map of Swaziland

The country has a rich history and remains as the only remaining monarchy in Africa.  Currently King Mswati III is the ruler of the country.  He currently has 14 wives and 23 children.  Swaziland is navigating a fine line between democracy and monarchy with a (relatively) newly adopted constitution.  In the early 1800’s the Dlamini royal house established themselves in the area.  By the turn of the next century, the area known as Swaziland was under British colonial rule even though the royal family was still in existence.  In 1968 the country was granted independence and a constitutional monarchy was established.  This however was short lived as in 1973 the constitution was dissolved by King Sobhuza leading to a absolute monarchy.  Eventually the monarchy was passed on to the current king Mswati III in 1986.  Under his rule (and thorough the pressure of underground political parties) a movement to more democracy was initiated.  National elections begain in 1993 and in 2006 a new constitution was established that declared the king the head of state and a prime minister and parliment along with a judicial system under him.  While power is now shared, the king still has an abundance of control (for instance, all the land is considered to be the King’s).

King Mswati III

Swaziland has two languages, siSwati and English.  SiSwati is the traditional langauge spoken in most of the rural areas and English is the language of business and government.  SiSwati is a derivitive of Zulu; you can hear it spoken here.

By far the greatest issue facing the Swazi people is the AIDS epidemic.  Currently nearly 40% of adults are infected that number is on the rise.  According to the UN, it is one of the few areas of the world where the quality of life is decreasing.  The AIDS rate is the highest in the world, the life expectancy is the third worst, and of 177 countries, it listed as being 141st in terms of human development.  77.8% of the population lives on less than two dollars a day and 47.7% lives on less than a dollar.

Despite these staggering problems and a transitioning government, Swaziland is relatively stable.  There are not major uprisings, civil conflicts, or major border disputes.  There are not rebel groups attempting to overthrow the government like there are in other African countries.

The crime rate in Swaziland is relatively high, especially in terms of violent crime.  However, it should be noted that its overall crime rate is 20% lower than that of the United States.  This compilation report highlights crime statistics as well as human rights issues, which I will address next.

While Swaziland is a stable country, it does have major human rights issues as this detailed report from the State Department explains.  Here is part of the the abstract (emphasis mine):

Swaziland is a modified traditional monarchy with executive, legislative, and limited judicial powers ultimately vested in the king (Mswati III). The king rules according to unwritten law and custom, in conjunction with a partially elected parliament and an accompanying structure of published laws and implementing agencies. The population was approximately 1.1 million. The most recent parliamentary elections, held in 2003, were not considered free and fair. Political parties continued to be banned. Political power remained largely with the king and his circle of traditional advisors, including the queen mother. The civilian authorities maintained effective control of the security forces; however, there were some instances in which security forces committed abuses.

The government’s human rights record was poor, and government agents continued to commit serious abuses. The country faced a serious socio?economic situation characterized by sluggish economic performance, poverty, drought, an HIV/AIDS prevalence rate of 42.6 percent, and growing unemployment. The following human rights problems were reported:

• inability of citizens to change their government
• arbitrary killings by security forces
• police use of torture, beatings, and excessive force
• police impunity
• arbitrary arrest and lengthy pretrial detention
• infringement on citizens’ privacy rights
• limits on freedom of speech and of the press
• restrictions on freedom of assembly and association
• prohibitions on political activity and harassment of political activists
• restrictions on freedom of movement
• discrimination and violence against women
• poor enforcement of women’s rights
  
• child abuse
• trafficking in persons
• societal discrimination against mixed race and white citizens
• antiunion discrimination
• child labor

I want to end on a bright note.  The country of Swaziland is absolutely beautiful with high plains, majestic mountains and pristine valleys.  I have included some pictures below.

Finally, here are a few websites I have found useful in addition to those linked above:

• The World Factbook — Swaziland – detailed information on Swaziland by the CIA.
• Times of Swaziland – Swaziland’s only independent newspaper.
• Swaziland Commentary a blog about the political situation written by a professor of journalism at the University of Swaziland.
• U.S. Embassy Mbabane, Swaziland – Home – US Embassy in Mbabane.
• Swaziland – US Department of State website on Swaziland
• Peace Corp Pre Departure Material – Language lessons for siSwati provided by the Peace Corp.

See Also:

Kingdom of Swaziland Part I – Decision to Move

Kingdom of Swaziland Part III – What we will do and why

My tagline mentions faith, doubt, family and future (not sure where that “d” word came from).  So far we have covered the first three, so what about the fourth… our future.  Well here are the big plans Beth and I have been mulling over recently.

About a year ago Beth and I realized we had divergent life plans.  It was not that my plans were different from hers; rather, it was that we were holding on to various life plans that could not all happen together.  Were we going to commit to our community in Bowling Green? Where we going to spend time overseas?  Was I going to pursue a Ph.D. and then teach in a university?  Was Beth going to transition into special education and working with students with Autism?

After much thought, prayer, and discussion it was clear that the path we were most dedicated to was an extended period overseas; specifically, we wanted to experience life in Africa.  We wanted to live 5-10 years in a developing country where we could raise Mikayla during her formative years.  We began doing research and setting goals.  We even went as far as creating a giant pro/con list of every country in the continent.  We were looking for a country:

• that is relative safe with no major civil conflicts
• where english is at least a secondary language
• where travel is cheap enough so it is possible to come back to the states or have people visit us
• with a near temperate climate and varied terrain (okay… really we were just looking for a place that wasn’t a desert)
• with a rich history and culture
• where communities addressed societal issues together

It was not our goal to go somewhere to “fix” things, but rather to allow a different set of circumstances to expand our worldview and then work along side those there to bring about a better world for all.

Our search kept returning us to the small country of Swaziland (technically “The Kingdom of Swaziland” since it is the only remaining monarchy in Africa).  This landlocked country is to the north-east of South Africa and is about the size of New Jersey with about the population of Kentucky’s 4 largest cities (Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green and Owensboro).  It has the third lowest life expectancy in the world due largely to the fact that it has the highest AIDS rate in the world. I will write a follow up post explaining more about Swaziland in the coming days and then another one explaining what we may do there, but until then you can read about the country here.

Our current plans are to travel there in 2010 to research jobs and organizations we may be able to work with, then in 2011 or 2012 make the big move.  Mikayla will be 2 or 3 then and we expect to stay until she is ready for Middle School and then move back.

Of course all this is flexible.  We decided it was better to have flexible goals that we could move towards rather than ambiguous goals that may never materialize.

For now, we are beginning to make contacts over there and have started looking into learning the second language of siswati, we are also researching organizations and institutions that we may be able to align ourselves with.

I look forward to sharing more as it develops.

See also:

Kingdom of Swaziland Part II – Background on the country

Kingdom of Swaziland Part III – What we will do and why

Mikayla is a little over two months old and besides the necessary medicine (and a few Shiloh hairs) the only thing that has gone in her mouth is breast milk.  In fact, only a small minority of her feedings have ever come from a bottle.  BUT… when a bottle is in use, you can bet I am at the other end of it.  When Beth is at class M-Th morning, I usually feed her once or twice.

This whole bottle thing was bit overwhelming for me.  We have 10 different styles of bottles and that is only half of what Target sells.  In fact, when Mikayla first started bottle feeding, I had to set a morning aside just to figure out which was which.

For the most part we have standard Medela bottles and fancy Dr. Brown’s bottles.  Both are the same size both get milk to Mikayla.  But, the Dr. Brown’s have a special venting contraption.

The vent system fully vents the bottle for vacuum-free feeding, which we call positive-pressure flow, similar to breastfeeding. As the baby feeds, air is channeled from the nipple collar through the vent system, bypassing the breastmilk or formula, to the back of the bottle. ~Dr. Brown’s website.

Special Vent Design

Supposedly the milk is healthier, the baby is happier and it is easier to feed them.  But here is the catch: there are more pieces to clean which can be a pain.  The two extra pieces (supposedly) require a special little brush too.

Standard Medela Bottles

Dr. Brown's Bottles

So, is it worth it?  In a word: Absolutely!

Up until today I had only used the Dr. Brown’s, but this morning the only bottles we had ready in the fridge were the Medela Bottles.  (In case you were wondering, both bottles fit on the Medela pump, but the Medela bottle s are a bit too short for the Dr. Brown’s vent to fit into).  Rather than use the dirty two bottles, I just used what I had.

In the end it was a much more frustrating experience.  The nipple kept collapsing, Mikayla had to fight the milk more, she was gassier and every couple minutes I had to take to readjust the bottle so air could sneak back in.  It ended up taking 30-50% longer, and father and child were both fussier.

Now I am sure there are other contraptions out there and other techniques to avoid this suction issue, but based on today’s experience, I will gladly break out the little brush and stick with the anti-suction-special-venting-plastic-tube-thingie that comes with Dr. Brown’s bottles.

You can read more about the bottles here.

Mikayla showing off her tats

If Mikayla only had a father, these “tattoos” would have been done in sharpie; but since she has a rational mother as well, photoshop will suffice.

Now, before you bash me as a bad father who is projecting negative images on innocent Mikayla, let me explain my thoughts behind this image and then perhaps I can redeem myself.

You see, Mikayla will sometimes “box” with her little hands and punch at the air.  Occasionally she will pause with her clenched fists extended.  This reminded me of the knuckle tattoos that my white, middle-class, suburban friends would draw in middle school as they mimicked what they thought were signs of street life (which the knew nothing about).  My simple mind found humor (crude as it may be) in the juxtaposition between innocence and raw street life.  (Just so you know, I am not the only one who thinks this way. See here, here and here.)

The phrase “Thug Life” started with Tupac Shakur, a New York rapper who was killed in the mid-nineties.  It is often assumed that Thug Life refers gang activity, drugs and crime; however this was never the image that Tupac intended.  Urban Dictionary defines it as such:

Thug life is when you have nothing, and succeed, when you have overcome all obstacles to reach your aim.

If you dig deeper into the phrase, you will actually find it is quite appropriate to consider it along side the image of a newborn as it is supposedly based on an acronym for “The Hate U Give Little Infants F#@&s Everyone.”  Another Urban Dictionary definition explains this concepts by saying:

T.H.U.G.  L.I.F.E.  stands for all the socially oppressive things we are taught at a young age that negatively affects us (or society) as adults.

The focus then is on the environments that breed hate, distrust, corruption and pain.  Thug Life is about overcoming your environment and breaking the cycle in order to achieve your dreams.

Now back to Mikayla’s tats.  The irony is deeper that simply an infant with tattoos commonly seen on the streets.  The irony is that Mikayla will probably never experience the pain and struggles that led Tupac to conceive of the idea of the Thug Life.  Mikayla has a life ahead of her with two parents that love her dearly and are willing to sacrifice immensely for her success.  She will grow up (most of her life) in the richest country in the world and be given the opportunity to attain the best education possible.  She will be given cultural opportunities that expand her horizons and challenge her worldview.  She will be raised by open minded parents who seek a just world with diversity and tolerance.

Mikayla will never have to come home to an empty house as an elementary student, or see her parents shoot up, or need to know that you need to duck when you hear gun shots.  She will not be forced to move every 3 months to avoid paying rent, or be shuffled in foster care.  She will never have to worry about where her next meal will come from, or where she will sleep.  On the international stage, Mikayla will never have to fear being abducted and forced to be a child solider, or of dying of preventable diseases.  She will never have to rely on the UN to take care of her along with millions others in a refuge camp.

Mikayla will never experience the Thug Life.

But even that has been a painful truth for me to grapple with.  Why is our daughter so special?  What has she done to deserve it?  While I would argue I have a very special daughter, the truth is her advantages come simply because she was born to us.  There is nothing she did to earn it.  At the same time, those that are not so lucky are just as innocent as Mikayla.  They don’t deserve the pain and suffering they will go through.

Realizing my love for my daughter has caused me to hurt so much more for those who do not experience this same love.  It has awaken me afresh to the injustices of this world and caused me to lament deeply the suffering of the innocent.  In fact, is has brought me to tears.

These thoughts have been plaguing me for some time.  The second week of Mikayla’s life I wrote this:

My love for my daughter causes me to hurt even deeper for the unloved. Love brings about pain; how do we ensure the opposite is true as well.

I am not hopeful I will ever figure it out, but it is not my desire to no longer feel the pain of this tension.  Instead, I want to be constantly reminded of the blessings I have been given and extend to Mikayla and likewise discontent with the unearned and undeserved pain and tragedy others inherent.  May the pain injustice bring about healing, peace and love.  May the day come when no one experiences the Thug Life.

*Just so you know, I really would not have put sharpie tattoos on my 2 month old daughter… but I did think about it 😉