Little shrub on a hill

I have had this particular blog post on my mind for almost a week now. I have debated on what to say and the best way to say it. Last week our country celebrated the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr’s ‘I have a dream’ speech. I found a lot of things very symbolic about this. First, it was held at the feet of President Lincoln, the president that died because of his beliefs, beliefs stated in the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal and that all men have the right to pursue happiness as they see fit. Second, it was a celebration for a man that gave his life because he shared the same beliefs as President Lincoln. The celebration was attended by President Obama, whom I feel, does not share the same beliefs as President Lincoln or Mr. King.

President Obama spoke of how everyone is entitled to have the same of everything. We are all entitled health care, he said. Obama spoke of “average people” that can never be anything better than average. He spoke as if being “average” is a very negative thing and a very sad place to be “stuck”. He spoke of maids and dishwashers that have no hope of ever doing anything important. As is usual with me, I could not disagree with the president more. I look around me and see many “average” people doing incredible things.

I am so impressed with my friend that home schools her 6 kids while her husband works many long hours so that she can stay home with the children. I am impressed with my sister and her husband ( a LEGAL immigrant from another country) that took a leap of faith and run their own business. President Obama is doing NOTHING to help them as small business owners. In fact, he is making life very difficult for them. I watch another mother of 5 support her husband in their home business as she is homeschooling her 2 small boys because those boys need extra help. This average mom has taken a leap of faith, hoping to do extraordinary things for her children. I am impressed with a friend that is running to be mayor of her small town because she sees a change needs to be made and she is willing to step up and help where she can. These women are all very ordinary, average women, doing what they can. They have each made an extraordinary difference in my life. I watched my sister in law, with a chemical engineering degree and a very promising career quit her work so that she could stay home and care for her children. She does extraordinary things every day.

Now days, the trendy thing to do is write letters for your children and post them on the internet for all to read. Instead of writing a letter directly to my children, I will write what I wish President Obama would have spoken about at such a historical moment. He should not have spoken about average people being stuck in “average”. He should have taken a lesson from Martin Luther King Jr. Mr King gave a speech that has now been called….(nope not the one you are thinking of….) Called “What is your life’s blueprint?” In this speech he is speaking to a group of students. He said “And when you discover what you will be in your life, set out to do it as if God Almighty called you at this particular moment in history to do it. don't just set out to do a good job. Set out to do such a good job that the living, the dead or the unborn couldn't do it any better.” He goes on to say “If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well. If you can't be a pine at the top of the hill, be a shrub in the valley. Be be the best little shrub on the side of the hill. Be a bush if you can't be a tree. If you can't be a highway, just be a trail. If you can't be a sun, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.”

This is the lesson I want my children to learn. This is why I feel the “average” women I wrote about earlier are so “extraordinary”. They are doing the very best they can in the situation they find themselves. Daughter, be the best little piano player you can be. My son, be the best purple belt there ever was. Be the best math student there has ever been. Daughter, be the best at facing your fears and play in that volley ball game. Son, take on the responsibility and do everything you are expected to do. Do it when everyone else is tired and quits. Do it when it is no longer fun. Do it because you said you would. Be the best little shrub on the side of the hill. That is what I wish our president would have spoken about it. Because he won’t, I will.