On this particular Friday evening, Sam’s parents were juggling responsibilities between the two kids…and on this particular evening, Sam’s mom and dad were committed to waiting in line all night out in the cold at one of Chicago’s local park districts in order to get Sam at the top of the waiting list for a baseball league (which is supposedly the best in the city). Sign up began at 10:00 am on Saturday morning, and my uncle learned after a failed attempt last year that parents begin lining up the day before to secure their child a position. Raising children in the city hasn’t always proved to be easy for my aunt and uncle, but they are dedicated to making sure that their kids will still have the same experiences as children in the suburbs even though it may require a larger effort on their part. Through this, they are showing their kids how much they love and care for them, and Sam is a true reflection of this…
When Sam was over, I convinced him to watch the opening ceremonies for this year’s Winter Olympics with me. Of course it took a little negotiation, and we agreed to first watch an episode of his latest obsession, The Pink Panther.
Between the old cartoon (which Sam thought was hilarious…I love having my apartment filled with the sound of a child laughing) and the start of the opening ceremonies, the video for the 25th anniversary of “We Are the World” had its world premiere, which you can see here. Since the song was redone in order to raise money for Haiti, footage of the earthquake’s aftermath was intertwined with footage of the talented artists and celebrities.
I found myself wanting to rewind the video to see which musicians, singers and songwriters were featured. I wanted to make sure that my favorite artists were a part of this awesome collaborative effort. However, Sam was just sitting there with his jaw dropped.
Part way through the song, Sam asked, “Rachel, why are those people standing on top of their homes?”
I said, “Well, their homes were ruined by the earthquake so they’re standing on what’s leftover.”
He then says, “Oh…there are people who have to live like that?”
Trying to use this as a teaching moment, I say, “Unfortunately, Sam, there are people in the world who aren’t as lucky as you are. There are people in the world who don’t have clean water to drink, or food to eat, or even a nice home to live in. We are very lucky and we need to thank God everyday for everything that he’s blessed us with.”
He says, “Yeah, you’re right.” Then after thinking for a minute, Sam looks at me with a furrowed brow and says, “Rachel, I’m not sure who to cheer for. Should I cheer for Haiti or the US?”
I was surprised at Sam’s sweet and thoughtful question. After watching the countries walk out, we realized that there was no one from Haiti participating in this year’s Olympics, but Sam’s question had me asking myself a question about my life…
…who am I cheering for?
Live Sweetly :)
Rachel
As a child of "Chicago", I am happy that my parent's gave me opportunities, even beyond that of a child in the suburbs. Chicago is a world class city that has so much culture and activities to offer. I am lucky to say I have become more well rounded because of it.
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