Thank you, Dr. King

I was inspired this morning by blogs. Blogs about the significance of today. So, I decided to take a moment and write down my somewhat random thoughts about what it means for me as a white mother to reflect on a man who could truly be the reason my family is able to, "be the way that we are".


When I was in 5th grade I had to pick a famous speech to present to my class. Interestingly enough, my choice at the time was the classic "I have a dream" speech by Dr. Martin Luther King. I remember saying these very words:

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation were they will not be judge by the color of their skin but by the content of their character .”

When I go to the grocery store, as I will today, there really aren't that many people that will stare at us. I know this is surprising to many who may think the opposite, but if anything, I get looks of grace and approval. Approval that when Dr. King said these very words above, was almost unimaginable.

“No person has the right to rain on your dreams.”

Although we are not mocked or looked at disapprovingly today, there was a time when some (mostly of an older generation) questioned our reasoning behind our adoption. I am so thankful that Mark and I were able to stand strong like the words above, because no one had the right to rain on our dream of this little boy that somehow, God had connected us with.

“And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.”

And although our nation has come so far, and I have truly had the chance to be inspired personally by these accomplishments, there is still work to do, bias to overcome, stereotypes to fight and racist groups to abolish, but at least the dream is still alive and I can't wait to see what the world looks like in another 20 years.

So thank you, Dr. King, for paving the path for my family to "be who we are meant to be".