Photo taken by N.McGuire 2017 |
I have a great responsibility, parenting four African American sons who were already judged before they were out of my womb. I have spent going on 18 years now fighting everyone from the relatives who had little or no time, money or energy to teach them (yet they claimed they were "helping") to the strangers who watched me push double strollers years back and assumed I was on welfare and there was no father in their lives.
The pressure has been on for years to train up a child not my way, society's way or anyone else's way, but God's. There is a call for many believers by the one true God to train children mentally, physically and spiritually. When parents and guardians head to their graves, what will they leave behind for children? Unresolved issues, secrets, lies, cover ups, sin, etc.? As parents we must prepare them not just for school, but beyond! We share life lessons about things other than sports like: seeking and finding a good partner, maintaining a quality relationship with one person (not several), prayer, finances, business (like being an entrepreneur/business owner), raising children, taking care of our bodies, and more. This way they defy the odds that often depict us in a negative light. We break stereotypes and we avoid feeding the ghetto wheel of destruction that steals our joy, kills our spirits, and destroys our bodies.
You know when you are doing good with your children when the feedback is positive from teachers, other parents, family, friends, and strangers on the street. I have received progress reports that I didn't ask for or want but appreciated the compliments and the not-so good comments. They only fuel my fire and motivate me to keep working with them. Yet, there is a bigger fight ahead, ushering them into manhood--protecting their identity from those who are looking to take that away. I can't teach on being a man, but their fathers can (two men--an ex and a current husband)--simply by the way they conduct themselves. The fathers' actions speak far louder than their words as well as other positive mentors. The boys learn what is right from what is wrong from elders while working hard to be different and learn from others' mistakes.
These boys are an eclectic mix, like me, with unique interests. Our ancestry comes shining forth in so many ways we are definitely not limited by what we look like, others' views, or modern day influences. There are aspects of who we are as a family that go beyond our skin tones.
Nicholl McGuire A.A. Blog Owner |
I am excited about the future and am grateful that God is in our lives. I pray that my sons remain faithful to Him above everyone and everything else!
Nicholl McGuire
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