30 May 2017
I was using the restroom in the London Heathrow Airport when I was reminded of just how loud my two older children can get when playing together. About 20 yards away sat two soft playgrounds, adjacent to one another.
The one on the left was for littles aged 0-2 years old, the one on the right for ages 3-10. Both were filled with bright, primary colored toys, slides and ladders. It was a welcome respite after walking through London that day and finding no play areas, and having three more hours of our layover left before heading to Germany.
We had already experienced British customs twice with our three offspring, ages 5 and under, in tow. It was eerily quiet in the 30-minute (at the very least) line upon entering and exiting the country. It was blatantly obvious, to me, that we are not British. (Our children actually did a spectacular job of “keeping it down” during this part of the journey).
“Ahhhhhh, here comes the bad guy!!!” I heard my son and daughter alternatively yelling, their voices echoing down to where I was washing my hands. My heart raced inside my chest. My two oldest children were surrounded by a handful of tykes from around the world. “Oh no, who are they calling ‘bad guy’?!” my mind raced, feeling mom-guilt over not teaching them enough about diversity. Our city of residence, Brownsville, is about 96% Latino, and we are in the majority.
I walked by and saw that the roles had been reversed. I saw the most precious, little African girl running from my tots. “Oh no, the bad guys!” she screamed, while my two ran towards her, also chasing a couple of Arabic boys, all squealing in delight. I smiled and laughed (while simultaneously breathing a sigh of relief). It was a vision I won’t soon forget. “What happens to us when we become adults?” I was left pondering.
I have been blessed with deep friendships and relationships over the course of my lifetime. There was a season when the thought of intimacy with other people freaked me out. They were just so… messy. Now, it’s how I choose to live my life, with others.
I enjoy going there with folks. Not in ways that are inappropriate, but in ways in which our souls connect and we share things that are important. In fact, though I hesitate to write this, friendships where the realness is not reciprocated do not last in my book. While one can have many acquaintances, they can only have so many friends.
So here’s to those that have walked with me thus far and will continue to, and new allies I will meet in the future. Here’s to not jumping ship when they demand much of me, inconvenience me and drive me batty. Here’s to unconditional love, unwavering support, occasional discomfort and plenty of fun!
Perhaps one day I will have the privilege of loving people the whole world over. Until then, I’m going to practice loving my part of the world well.
I’m not sure if I’m alone in this, but when I watch epic movies (read: Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter) I find myself, as a strong female, relating more to the male characters. Swept up in the battles between good and evil, I envision myself as Aragorn (also know as Strider), a fierce and fearless, yet humble, leader. I once took a Which Harry Potter Character Are You? quiz and got Mrs. Weasley as my result. I was severely disappointed. Nevermind that, though.
I went into Wonder Woman with an open mind. I had heard and read fantastic peer reviews over it. Truthfully, I was blown away. It is an excellent movie. At the end of the film, I left triumphant, thinking, “Finally, a heroine I want to be.” I was particularly surprised by the spiritual parallels (which I love) that stood out to me.
<<<SPOILER ALERT>>>
Wonder Woman’s main quest is to find Ares (the God of War) and kill him. In her mind, once she does this, it will end all wars between mankind. While she succeeds in her goal, she finds the result is not what she expected. Towards the end of the movie, her love, Steve Trevor, sacrifices himself for the greater good. Shortly after, in the final showdown between her and Ares, their conversation is as follows:
Ares (also known as Sir Patrick) to Wonder Woman: Destroy her, Diana (referring to Dr. Poison, the inventor of a poisonous gas that has killed many). You know that she deserves it. They all do.
Diana (also known as Wonder Woman) to Ares: They’re everything you say, but so much more… You’re wrong about them. Ultimately, she does not kill Dr. Poison.
And this final gem, at the conclusion: It’s not about what you deserve. It’s about what you believe, and I believe in love. I used to want to save the world…to bring peace. I learned within them [humans] there was both [light and dark], a choice. And now I know that only love can truly change the world. So, I stay, I fight and I give.
To all that I say, Amen!