The Girl I Used to Be

She came tonight as I sat alone, the girl I used to be…
And she gazed at me with her earnest eye and questioned reproachfully;
Have you forgotten the many plans and hopes that I had for you?
The career, the splendid fame, and all the wonderful things to do?
Where is the mansion of stately height with all of its gardens rare?
The silken robes that I dreamed for you and the jewels in your hair?
And as she spoke, I was very sad for I wanted her pleased with me…
This slender girl from the shadowy past the girl that I used to be
So gently rising, I took her hand, and guided her up the stair
Where peacefully sleeping, my babies lay innocent, sweet, and fair.  
And I told her that these are my only gems, and precious they are to me;
That silken robe is my motherhood of costly simplicity.
And my mansion of stately height is love, and the only career I know
Is serving each day in these sheltered walls for the dear ones who come and go.
And as I spoke to my shadowy guest, she smiled through her tears at me.
And I saw that the woman that I am now, pleased the girl I used to be.

(Copyright Rowena Lewis, 2001) 

L-O-V-E

 Today I have seen several updates about appointments to the Department of Homeland Security.  You can read the article on Snopes.com here, as it is what I was linked to the most often.  My opinion is that the most qualified candidate should be appointed to any position, and that religion and state should always be kept separate.  I've also read comments about them being "Devout Muslims", and the horror that follows those beliefs.  First, when does religion ever tag along behind any other candidate?  You wouldn't shout about someone being a devout Catholic, but shouldn't that offend every Jehovah's Witness, Protestant, or Free Will Baptist out there?  Second, being a Muslim makes you a terrorist as much as being a Christian makes you part of Westboro Church.  If you are a Christian who thinks Fred Phelps is a monster, wouldn't it make you sad if people of other beliefs thought that's how all Christians behaved?

If you believe in God as he is presented to us in the Bible, and you worship Him, and you follow His teachings, how can you look at your fellow people with such scorn and criticism?  How can you hate gay people, black people, Muslims, people who are overweight, a homeless man, interracial couples?  How can you look upon those that are different than you in disgust?  Think of the things you have done in your life that are truly disgusting, then look at the people you judge.  Every single person in life you see has had their own share of sadness and happiness.  You have no idea who they are or what they feel inside.  Someone with a different skin color doesn't have different emotions than you!  They don't love their family in different ways, they don't think differently, they are a human being and their bodies are operating just as yours does.  Someone with a different religious belief isn't a bad person.  Think of what led you to your beliefs, and think how your life would be different if you were taught another religion your whole life.  You cannot blame someone else for their beliefs, because they are as entitled to them as you are to yours.  Someone who has a drug problem, an alcohol problem, a gambling problem, a sexual problem, try to think of what's caused that in that person.  How were they treated as children?  What support did they have, what options were given them?  There are no excuses for being a bad person, but being different is not the definition of bad.  The next time you want to judge a person, you should think of your heart beating inside their chest.  How would you want to be viewed?