shrugs and all

Dear Bone,

A few mornings ago I told you a story.  A story about discrimination and injustice and unfairness and unkindness and ignorance. It is this story. The story of a Boy Scout Troop Leader (and mother to a boy your age) who was outed from her position because her family was made up of two moms. I tell you how I didn't know Boy Scouts was exclusionary (and I explain to  you what this word means), and how this upsets me because it is WRONG -- in Boy Scouts and in the world. And you just shrug.

It doesn't phase you. I ask you if you think this is a fair, and you say, "sure." I know your only 7, and that you are thinking only about how badly you want to build a slingshot and go camping with your friends, but I hope that one day you don't just shrug your shoulders, claim that your feelings have never been hurts, and state that you don't care because, "it isn't you who is being excluded."

I guess it is partly my job to teach you this. But I hope this lesson is not one that I simply "teach" you. I hope as you grow and change and see and do that you learn this on your own. I hope that you find room in your heart for compassion, empathy, fairness and justice. I hope you find room for fight and change. I hope when you see exclusion and judgement in the world it breaks your heart (even just a little). I hope you embrace all forms of families and people. I hope you love freely and easily and equally. I hope when you do make mistakes, when you do pass judgements, and when you do exclude or hurt someone else -- that you learn and grow and rethink and reconsider.

I hope one day you don't just shrug.

I love you always (shrugs and all).