Several weeks ago I ordered a DVD documentary "Katrina's Children". As I watched I would rewind and watch again, trying to catch all the words and feelings of the precious children featured in this documentary. I probably watched the entire DVD 3 or 4 times, each time hearing more of what the children said.
Some say "children are resilient". Others say "just get over it". These children demonstrate how both of these are myths that we adults propegate in order that we do not have to feel the pain that others feel. We want to push it out of our minds saying that "those people" are somehow lower than we are, less intelligent, less capeable, lazy and poor - all by their own fault. If we don't learn about them, then we can condem them and complain about the bleeding heart liberals who want to give them more of our hard earned dollars.
In the meantime, the children are left behind.
As I watched Katrina's Children I saw "our kids" reflected back at me. "Our kids" do not talk much about Katrina, and at the advice of experts, we do not push them to. We listen for the little comments and the actions that speak far louder than words.
In Katrina's Children I heard familiar comments such as "I wish I was white". I watched the girl who kicked and pulled at the padlocked gate to the fence that surrounded her school. She was so frustrated that her school was not open. And yet she could not read a sign warning about the consequences of bringing firearms onto school property. It reminded me of "our" Aleisha. Poor Aleisha, so left behind, and as she screamed out through words and actions for help, she was ignored even more. No one had taken the time to hear her story, the incredible pain this little girl suffered because of abuse and neglect. As she told us her story with tears flowing down her cheeks, I wondered if anyone had ever seen this vulnerable side of her. All they saw was the anger that came from a heart with hurt so deep that none of us adults could begin to comprehend it.
In this documentary each child draws a picture to represent their feelings. I watched to see if any of them would draw a picture like our Charlie daws, with a house on stilts and his bed in the attic.
I was struck by the little girl who did not cry in front of her mom because she could not put into words why she was so sad. It made me wonder how much "our kids" wanted to say but felt they couldn't. Children do not have the wisdom that comes with years to deal with or describe their loss and grief. And yet they are so very wise.
This documentary features kids from New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and yet it could be children from any city across our country. They beg to be heard. They desperately want to go to a good school, to learn to read and understand what they are reading, to be treated the same no matter the color of their skin.
We can make a difference. But we have to be willing to put aside our pride and our arrogance. We have to be willing to be quiet and listen to their words both spoken and unspoken. We have to be willing to give them friendship and not be judgemental. It must come from a sincere desire to make a difference, and these kids can spot a fake in a minute.
Please take a minute to visit http://www.katrinaschildren.com/ and purchase a copy of this DVD. You will be helping a good cause.
If you want to read a great review of "Katrina's Children - a Documentatry" - click here
If you want to share the story of "our kids" with a friend, click here.
Until next time . . .
Stephanie
So very, very true Stephanie... and I hope somehow the media would see fit to push your book, Angels and Quilt Pieces, because it shows so much about life an what can be accomplished with sustained applications and efforts of goodness :) My commendations to you :)
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