I have a dream...

Last night we finished up Margaret's homework. She is in kindergarten and gets a weekly "Family Homework" packet. Most of it we work on together.

Two surprising things happened while we were doing this. First, as I read Dr. Martin Luther King's speech to her, Amelia started reciting along when we got the part about "my children will not be judged by the color of their skin, but the content of their character". (Amelia was sitting at the table doing her homework also) Wow. Cool to hear that she had heard and retained that.

The assignment with the speech was for us as a family to come up with our dreams. Margaret's dream was that she could always be nice to all her friends. Then I said that my dream was that all the soliders should come home safe from Iraq.

We don't know anyone who is stationed in Iraq. (The links above are to folks I know who do. They have husband/finance'/future son-in-law in Iraq. Being extended.) Anyway, since we don't have any relatives in Iraq, it's not a topic we talk about in the house around the kids. Back to my story...

Margaret said "Why are there soldiers in Iraq?"

I said "Well, there's war there."

Margaret said, "Who are they fighting?"

I said "They are fighting themselves. They are having a civil war. Two sides in the country each think that they are right."

Margaret said, "Oh. Like the Dr. Seuss book. They had a bomb."


Well, I was floored. I vaugely remember one or two Dr. Seuss books that would apply. One was the "Butter Battle Book". I think that was Dr. Seuss' book against nuclear proliferation. I also recall a book about star bellied sneeches and non star bellied sneeches. I don't recall the name. I don't remember if they were the same book or different books. I'll have to find it/them and re-read. Obviously Margaret heard one of them somewhere.

It constantly amazes me what kids pick up from around them. They are really innocent and we try to protect them from icky stuff. But they pick up all sorts of things and put them all together. And usually they have something to say in their innocence that makes us think.



Prayers for Lance and Dave (two guys I've never met) and for all our troops. Recent extensions in deployments not only continue to put a lot of soldiers at risk, but it really screws up a lot of plans folks had for when they were coming home. I also pray that Iraq can figure out how to rule itself fairly and with justice. As soon as possible. Not an easy task, I know.