LOVE IS...all shapes and sizes and colors
One of the greatest blessings in my life are the many friends that God has sent my way! The older I get the more I realize how they have all influenced me in one way or another. I have skinny friends, fat friends, tall and short friends, big and little friends, friends with tons of hair and even friends who are bald. Some of my friends are very, very wealthy and some barely seem to scrape by. Many are still young and some are truly old. Some are new friends and some I've known for years and years and years! I have friends from nearly every race and religion and I'm thankful I've been given the chance during during my life to get to know each one in a unique and wonderful way. All of them are deeply loved.
When my extremely detail-oriented, verbally advanced son was in kindergarten he arrived home from school one afternoon with a note pinned to his T-shirt. The note came from his teacher and said this:
"IMPORTANT! Please send Brandon to school tomorrow with a PEACH CRAYON!"
When my extremely detail-oriented, verbally advanced son was in kindergarten he arrived home from school one afternoon with a note pinned to his T-shirt. The note came from his teacher and said this:
"IMPORTANT! Please send Brandon to school tomorrow with a PEACH CRAYON!"
Thinking the kids in his class were working on a special project I innocently asked him exactly WHAT the specific color of crayon was for...
To this day his reply to me remains one my most favorite of memories from his childhood. He said this:
To this day his reply to me remains one my most favorite of memories from his childhood. He said this:
"Momma...
My teacher told all the kids today to draw a picture of the WHOLE CLASS and I couldn't do it because I didn't have a peach crayon!!!
My skin is NOT WHITE even though I'm called a WHITE person! Lots of my friends are called white, too..but they ARE NOT! We are PEACH!!! And you know what else? My Black (African American) friends ARE NOT really black! Their skin is really light and dark brown. And my Spanish (Mexican) friends ARE NOT really brown, they are tan...and my Chinese and Japanna-ese friends are NOT YELLOW, they are cream colored!
I think grown ups mix things up and call us by the wrong color! We are all just KIDS!"
My teacher told all the kids today to draw a picture of the WHOLE CLASS and I couldn't do it because I didn't have a peach crayon!!!
My skin is NOT WHITE even though I'm called a WHITE person! Lots of my friends are called white, too..but they ARE NOT! We are PEACH!!! And you know what else? My Black (African American) friends ARE NOT really black! Their skin is really light and dark brown. And my Spanish (Mexican) friends ARE NOT really brown, they are tan...and my Chinese and Japanna-ese friends are NOT YELLOW, they are cream colored!
I think grown ups mix things up and call us by the wrong color! We are all just KIDS!"
I'll never forget standing there in front of my then five year old son literally speechless. He saw his little friends in a completely different way, innocently tossing aside the colors we often associate with each race.
Brandon was right! No matter our size or shape or the color of our skin, we are just PEOPLE! Red, Yellow, Black, White, Peach, Tan, Brown or Cream...(or big, little, short, tall, thick or thin) we are all precious in His sight.
Blessings to you as you remember it's what's on the inside that counts...Rebecca
Brandon was right! No matter our size or shape or the color of our skin, we are just PEOPLE! Red, Yellow, Black, White, Peach, Tan, Brown or Cream...(or big, little, short, tall, thick or thin) we are all precious in His sight.
Blessings to you as you remember it's what's on the inside that counts...Rebecca
17 comments:
I totally agree with you. One of the many things I can Thank my Mother for is that she taught me that all people are the same and should be treated that way. I passed that on to my kids and they are passing it on to theirs.
Willow
Your Son is brilliant! I have always thought exactly the same thing about the colors in the crayon box, especially the peach crayon. Thank you for sharing this story, I enjoyed reading it so much. Have a loveleigh Tuesday Rebecca.
Rebecca, you are such a dear...I've spent some time this morning reading a few of your posts and they truly touched my heart. Among your many talents, have also the gift of encouragement. Have a blissful day!
Oh Rebecca, I remember using the 'peach' crayon to color people in my coloring books when I was little! White was just too white! If my box didn't contain a peach crayon, I would lightly use a brown crayon and then my people would be sun-tanned! You are so right about remembering what is on the inside that counts and not the color of our skin! We are all the same in God's sight! I think that children see things more clearly than us adults do sometimes!
Hi Rebecca -
Love this blog. I remember when my son, Tony 32 now, came home from Kindergarten and said "Mom, it was so much fun, I threw the ball to Jing, Jing threw it to Shaheen, Shaheen threw it to Juan, Juan threw it to Gino, Gino threw it to Sven and then we won."
He thought I was so happy because they won.
Marsha
Amazing post again, Rebecca!
Let me tell you another 'out of the mouths of babes' ~
We are an 'international family'. When Tatiana was about 3 she was noticed I had freckles (boy do I! to go with the red hair). She asked me how come ... I said 'Mother left me out in the rain & I rusted'. Then she glanced back at her skin, which is definitely a light black tan. So I asked her, 'what color is your skin, Tatiana'. She quickly looked at her skin color, flipped over her little wee hands & very proudly announced 'WHITE'! Harold & I chuckled. I said 'what color am I Tatiana?' She replied 'Mimi, you are mixed'. Now how adorable can you get. I then explained to her that '...God makes all kinds of skin colors & I am really blessed to be both brown & white, just like you but in a different way, I am spotted'. Never did we have anymore 'how come' questions. Love those dumplings.
So glad you are back ... life is one step up, on happiness. TTFN ~ Marydon
Oh, Rebecca, your son's replay is priceless! From the mouths of babes come lots of wisdom!
I've entered you in my giveaway!
Be a sweetie,
Shelia :)
This is a great post. How soon we forget the basics. I agree, Friends are blessings and gifts from God. We should cherish each one of them.
Have a great day.
Hi Rebecca, I treasure my friendships and feel blessed to have several longtime friends....many, many years!
Such a lovely post.
xoBarb
And the truth shall be told through the mouths of babes. I would've hugged that kid so hard.... priceless Ms. R, priceless!!
Beautiful Post from a Beautiful Mind.....
Love Ya',
Marilyn
Oh, Rebecca! What a beautiful post! Yes we are all made in the image and love of God. Aaah, so grateful. Thank you for posting such an inspiring post. Have a good day.
Sandra
And this is why I missed you so much!
Hugs,
June
Oh Rebecca, How sweet this post. Your son saw things in such a sincere and real way. I love that about children.
Thank you for sharing such a precious memory and your heart.
Big hugs,
Celestina Marie
Man I was full of great wisdom even then! It is only reasonably I got smarter from then on...
haha!
In all seriousness, I didn't think those thoughts because of my childhood innocense.
I was raised to believe that a person is a person, regardless of race, gender, religion, disability or sexual preference.
It is most likely the above fact, more than any other my parents have taught me over the years, that helps me excel and be successful in life and work to this day.
To TheMuffinMan (AKA: Brandon/My Son)
And THIS is EXACTLY why your dad and I love you so much! YOU MAKE ME PROUD to be your MOMMA!
"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6
Smiling through the tears my son...just like I did when you were five!
xoMom
What a beautiful son you have Rebecca. MuffinMan, you are very blessed to have such wonderful parents ... & they are so blessed that the lessons you were taught & shared with, have given them great pride in you. It is such a precious moment your Mother shared with us all of you ...
TTFN ~ Marydon
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