Abundance

Growing up in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, I hardly knew anyone different from me.  We were almost exclusively white, middle-class Christians from so-called "traditional" families.  My kids' experiences growing up in Durham, North Carolina, couldn't be more different.  At times this has troubled me.  I've been sorry that they weren't surrounded by kids more similar to them, and I've wondered if they missed out on something.  When I see a picture like this, I realize I couldn't be more wrong.  After all, what does it really mean to be "different"?

Graduation

The graduation ceremony is over, the robes hung up, and the tassels tossed. Everyone offers advice. Mine is simple:

As you leave childhood and embrace your adult life that lies ahead, hold tight--when you can--to the little you

* who swung with glee among racks of clothes at department stores;

* who danced to the pulsing rhythm of Sertab;

* who searched out crying children at the library;

* who coined the online moniker "gingerbreadwitch";

* and who created worlds of imagination through dress-ups and performances just about every day.

For I believe that when life gets difficult, as it inevitably does, you can find rescue within yourself and from your past. If you can recall what brought delight as a child, you can often get through the darkness.

The future gallops ahead, whether we're ready or not. You're ready, Madeleine. Journey on with hope and expectation.