This Little Light of Mine

I realized just today how important my kids really are to me.

I have spent most of this shelter-in-place time at home, by myself, without my kids.

Some moms (or parents) might fantasize about how it must feel like vacation every day.

It did.

and it was lonely.

As a self-professed extravert this extended time at home has been a tremendous challenge.

I worked with it. I knew this was a weakness going into it.

and now, here we are, on the other side of shelter-in-place, allowed to get haircuts and eat outside...

And then this Very Sad Thing happened...



This is a Very Big Deal.

And the way I conduct myself around my kids when they return next week is going to refelct how I think and feel about this Very Big Deal...They are going to look to me. I need to help them understand what this means. It needs to be discussed. If I allow my children to remain ignorant of this Very Sad Thing, then I am contributing to the problem.

I will not be protesting, I will not be facebook posting. But what I will do is offer a place for my children to ask and learn on their level about what happened.

Even as I am here, struggling to understand this, I think the best place (for me) to start to understand this is with empathy. I can't wrap my head aroud the riots and the news and the clamour of the aftershock. But if I take a step back, and put myself in His Shoes...how would that feel?


I will never know.

All I really have is my own experience.

When I felt like death was coming.

I was 6.

When I was in kindergarten, there was a power outage during a storm.

My parents lit candles and set them on the dining room table.

I wanted to walk around the table and carry a candle, and my parents let me.

I started to sing "This Little Light of Mine, I'm gonna let it shine," and I started a lap around the table.

As I walked the flame quickly got bigger than anticipated, an caught my hair on fire.

In that moment, as a 6-year-old, I thought my life was over. My body was on fire and I would be gone in five minutes.

That is the closest I have ever felt to death.

I now need to extend empathy to the Very Sad Thing.

Your Pain is my Pain. Your suffering Is My suffering.


So what happened that I am still here to share this story?

I was saved.

He was not.

Could someone have saved Him?

The Save I received was from my Dad. He tackled me with his wool sweater. It saved my life.

No One Saved Him.

The person who did it could have saved him. But he didn't.



So, for you, Lost Brother, I offer this.

My Children, along with others sang This Little Light of Mine for Online Church a few weeks ago.



I would like to dedicate this from the Fun Dollars Blog to You.

I will sing for you.

I will remember you.




I was given grace to live from my Father. I will finishe the song that was cut short.

 Sing instead of argue. Be the Change. Be the Light. Carry it With you.



Fun Dollars for the Candle (at Aldi) $6.00.

THIS CANDLE IS LIT IN MEMORY OF 

GEORGE FLOYD

"This Little Light of Mine, I'm Gonna Let it Shine"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKy3cViRVjs&t=1698s

(right around 28 minutes)