WE'RE NOT BORN To Be RACIST...We Are Taught

    I would like to introduce you to Haven and Kendal, two intelligent and warm hearted little souls. They have known each other since they both learned to talk and walk. The great thing about these two is that they are extremely close friends. Now I know looking at them the two most obvious things that you notice is 1. they are beautiful little girls and 2. they know how to look GLAMOROUS in gowns. But there are two more things about them that may not be so obvious 1. that they are loved deeply and 2. they are SISTERS. Now even though they were born about five months apart to two different sets of mothers and fathers and they are raised in different households believe me when I tell you THEY ARE SISTERS. Both are daddy's little girls and momma's precious babies. They have big girl parties after hours (sleepovers). They will talk and giggle to each other on the phone forever if their parents let them. And yes they argue and fuss with each other too! Over toys, which movies to watch and other things but they will CRY THEIR EYES out when they have to leave each other. And it is that bond that makes hearing them laugh and seeing them play together an experience that will warm the coldest of hearts.

   Hav and K have created and share a bond that in the few years they have spent together has become a love that most people never experience in their entire lifetimes. As they have grown up together they have become more aware of the many differences they share and have on numerous occasions comically voiced their observations. They recognize that Haven has short brown hair but Kendal has long blond hair. They see that Kendal has green eyes but Haven has dark brown eyes. They are also aware that "Haven is chocolate and Kendal is vanilla!" So even though they are sisters it is clearly noticeable even to themselves that these two angels share a contrast of skin tones and physical features. And it is these characteristics that so many "grown ups" still seem to have an issue with...even in 2014!!! Now to some folks, it may seem odd that sisters can have so many differences but still be so close. But it is the beauty of their diversities that has allowed their youthful friendship to grow into a bond of sisterhood. Their relationship isn't special because of their natural variations IT IS SPECIAL BECAUSE IT IS NOT DEFINED by those variations. Even when they are fighting over space on the couch or over whose turn it is on the computer they never lash out at each other with hurtful insults spawned of a hateful contempt based on the differences of their individual skin tones.

 
   As parents we often are forced to view the world through our children's eyes. Forced to go against what society tells us that we should accept as normal for our kids. Forced to change the way we think about life and the people in it. It has been a very humbling experience watching them grow up and I thank the Lord that they have each other. I wish I could share the lessons I have learned from Haven and Kendal with the world because they have taught me that Friendship and Love is truly colorblind. These two little ladies have taught me that, if we as adults, have the courage to see through the eyes of our future caretakers and look past the colors of our own skin hues and others, we would be able to understand that no matter the differences that our beautiful shades have...we're not born to be racist...we are taught.*

*Special Thanks to my wife and Haven's mother Crystal and to Tyler and Claudia, Kendal's parents for allow me to us our children pictures and bond to make the world a little better. SALUTE*

"Those that have greatness in them also possess the power...to bring greatness out of those around them." - TWIL