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State of the Union
When the economy suffers a cold, children catch pneumonia.
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Once, while swimming in the ocean, a large wave knocked over my daughter, who was five years old at the time. The strong undertow held her underwater, dragged Erin toward shore, and then began to pull her out to sea. As she slid past me toward open water, I looked down and saw my little girls' eyes wide open looking back at me. I had the impression she was smiling. Adrenaline and instincts quickly engaged as I grabbed her tiny arm. I pulled her on my shoulder and in a shaky voice asked if she was okay. She said, and I will never forget these words, "I wasn't scared. I knew you were here." Then I asked, "Can you see if Mommy is watching us?" During those few moments when I could not see Erin, I felt intense fear. Combined with helplessness. Fortunately, I stood in a position to reach out and save my daughter from a peril she neither caused nor could do much about. Growing numbers of today's children also face deteriorating conditions they neither caused nor can do much about. But we need not feel helpless because we can do something. Let's consider what's really going on with many kids. In Michigan, where I now live, the eroding economy clearly affects children's lives. Consider these statistics from Kids Count in Michigan, as posted by the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies:
If you haven't noticed, take a look and you'll see wave after wave crashing in on kids today. This very day if you interact with children on weekdays. Or this weekend at church. Yes, these numbers come from Michigan. But they paint a picture that appears across the country: life has become more difficult for kids. The National Center on Family Homelessness released a study last week that show one in 50 U.S. children is homeless. The organization I work for knows that when the economy suffers a cold, children catch pneumonia. However, our nation's youth typically don't show clear, outward signs or symptoms—so we don't necessarily notice their situations. But inside, troubled little hearts break and eventually reach empty, especially if no one seems to care. That's the state of the union for anyone reaching out to children. So what can we do? I have an idea that you can put in place this week, costs nothing, and will make an immediate difference. Similar to my earlier here's-how-not-to-do-it story about ocean swimming safety, let me share another blunder that makes a point. |        
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