Like most film clips, this one found me
and more than just finding me
it’s message pierced my heart
and when your heart gets pierced
most of the time
it beats differently
(at least for a short amount of time)
until it gets pierced again
(and again, and again:
AND IF YOU’RE TRULY ALIVE
countless more times)
Writing in his journal 9 year old Abeer
speaks of his frustrations
with having to always prove himself
at home
at school
at playtime with friends
never really ever being allowed to
just be himself
His heartfelt
and eye-opening words
remind us that each child is
wonderfully and awesomely
u N I QU e
and should not just be
S E E N
as such
but most especially
cherished
treated
as such
The right-between-the-eyes-straight-through-the-heart-message:
DON’T LOOK AT WHO YOUR CHILD COULD BE
BUT WHO YOUR CHILD IS
As Abeer
points out so powerfully:
IF CHILDREN TRULY ARE THE BEST GIFT
YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSE TO FIX THE BEST GIFT;
It shot me back to a powerful scene
from the movie
G L A D I A T O R
When Joaquin Phoenix’s character, Commodus
is crying for the approval/acceptance of his father,
Richard Harris’s Marcus Aurelius
at which time Aurelius
sushes his son and says,
“YOUR FAULTS AS A SON IS MY FAILURE AS A FATHER.”
I have had so not proud moments
with each of my children
and when I have blatantly known them
(mostly at that very moment)
I have apologized
I know the greatest blessings of my life are
my family;
My wife
my children
my grandchildren
my sister and brothers
my parents
my nieces and nephews
my cousins
For me. . .
some of the worst moments in my life
is when I have not noticed
T H A T
Or Worse. . .
when I’ve tried to tamper
TO FIX
what’s ultimately
never been broken
IN THEM
(but not always in me
(FOR, OR BECAUSE OF ME)
Maybe the truest GIFT
now
is knowing it
and never knowingly do it
a g a i n. . .
To make my love less of a Roller Coaster
and more like the greatest
AMUSEMENT PARK
any person who knows me
(especially children)
could ever visit and
(. . .and better)
NEVER LEAVE
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