A Dream.

When I was in third grade, I wrote an essay about Martin Luther King Jr. and his famous "I have a Dream" speech. My teacher entered it into some sort of national contest, and it was published in something nationally. I don't think the essay I wrote was particularly clever or enlightening, but it was passionate...as passionate as a 9 year old girl could be. I remember that while writing the speech, the words just flew onto the little cut-out of Dr. King's face; it was easy to write how I felt, when I had heard the words from a man who had opened my eyes.

Now, 20ish years later, my heart still flutters as I listen to the words spoken and recorded; the truth of a man who changed a little girl's heart that many years in the past, now resonates so deeply in my belief system today.

I believe one cannot view this world with "black and white" exactness... knowing that's easy for me to say, being as that I am a white, middle-class woman, with a good job, beautiful home, and ridiculous amounts of food available. When we are so closed-minded as to believe our views are the "only" views, we shut ourselves off from learning, and from experiences that will only most likely strengthen our core beliefs even further. I try to live my life in gray. I do my best to make conscious choices to listen before judgement, and make decisions based on fact and what I feel is right. I am thankful for parents who taught me to see beyond hell, fire, and damnation...and left me to discover, on my own, what I believe to be true about the world and the people in it. I have made mistakes, mistaken fallacies for truth, and have discovered, through these experiences, that as long as my heart is deeply invested, and at peace...I will be okay.

My dreams, now that I have grown some since third grade, are not so different from Dr. King.

I dream that my daughter will grow up in a world that will accept and love her for Independence and strong-will. I dream she will be able to discover what she finds to be true, love herself, and find the most joy in life from the relationships she keeps with others and God.

I dream of holding her babies.

I dream that my son will have an opportunity to show the world what he is made of. I dream that he will be taken seriously, and not patronized, for the path he chooses to lead as he becomes a man.

I dream of watching him grow old.

I read a headline somewhere today which stated, "Obama packs a suitcase full of HOPE for DC."

And, boy...he sure does.

To some he packs Hope that this change will bring some relief to a people who have done as much as they can do. For me, he brings a reality that Dr. King's dreams are coming true, which in turn allows me to have Hope that my dreams will come true as well.

Thank you Dr. King.