BECAUSE I LOVE YOU

 

Because I Iove you

The sun is brighter

The moon is rounder

The sky is bluer

And because you choose to love me

My life has meaning.

WHAT GOOD DADS DO

Good dads change your diaper when it’s messy.

Good dads buy you a basketball or football even before you’re six months old.

Good dads pick you up from your first day of kindergarten.

Good dads take off work to see your first grade Thanksgiving play.

Good dads read your favorite story to you, even though you’ve heard it 77 times before.

Good dads coach your soccer team even if he doesn’t like soccer.

Good dads give you chicken-noodle soup and potato chips when you’re sick.

Good dads spank your butt when you mouth-off to your mother.

Good dads help you with your homework, even if they don’t quite understand.

Good dads are patient.

Good dads always want the best for you.

Good dads never give up on you.

Good dads get up early to take you to your first job.

Good dads have talks with your teachers or coaches when they believe you haven’t been treated fairly.

Good dads tell their sons how to respect women.

Good dads tell their daughters to be careful of whom they trust.

Good dads teach their children to respect their elders.

Good dads teach their children to respect themselves.

Good dads tell you when you screw up.

Good dads teach you how to drive.

Good dads tell you to be careful.

Good dads show you how to change a flat tire.

Good dads come out in the rain at 2:00 o’clock in the morning to change your flat.

Good dads don’t seek adulation or praise;  taking care of you is their responsibility.

Good dads don’t always give you what you want, but always provide what you need.

Good dads tell you stories about your grandparents and your aunts and uncles.

Good dads always put their children first.

Good dads explain that all blessings come from the Master Father.

Good dads love their children unconditionally.

Good dads encourage their children to develop their mind, body, and spirit.

Good dads always love and respect the mother of their children.

 

SAM

6.11.2021

DON'T FORGET THE ACHIEVERS

By any account, the past year has been challenging.  The pandemic, social injustice, and political maleficence have made it hard to maintain a positive mindset at times.  While many Americans have been affected by these issues, it is clear that the effects on the Black Community have been devastating.  That’s why this Graduation Season is so important.  In the midst of all the negativity, it is necessary that we shine a light on the positive accomplishments and contributions of our high school and college graduates.

Today, we have more Black men and women graduating from college than at any other time in history.  These young people have chosen to be more despite societal obstacles and roadblocks.  What we hope is that these achievers will lead us to a more just, safe, and compassionate society.

We need to celebrate these students who put in the effort to obtain an education.  Those who didn’t quit when it got hard and remained positive and focused during a tsunami of negativity.  While they may not quite understand the importance of their achievements today, it is certain that their educational perseverance will have a positive impact on our communities for years to come.

So if you see someone who is graduating, congratulate them on their achievement, encourage them to be all that they can be, and thank them for choosing to affect change in a positive and constructive manner.

S. A. Miller

ONE I NEVER HAD

 

HOW TO CELEBRATE THE DR. KING HOLIDAY

The angst and anxiety that so many people have been feeling the past several months is understandable.  From an unrelenting pandemic that has taken so many lives, to the plague of social injustice that continues to challenge the lives of Black people in the United States, it has been a difficult time in America.  How fitting it is, then, that the first major holiday of the year that we celebrate is the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr holiday.  At a time when we need all the hope we can get, honoring the legacy and dream of Dr. King offers us some comfort.

In pursuit of the dream, Dr. King probably had few days off.  Fighting for civil rights has no “down time”.  Discrimination and bigotry don’t take vacations.  Dr. King’s dream was for us to have freedom of opportunity in America.  The opportunity to elect those who would serve us best.  The opportunity to be educated at the schools of our choice.  The opportunity to live where ever we wanted to live.  The opportunity to have our own businesses.   The opportunity to pursue our own dreams.

Celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King is not a singular event.  Instead it is a reminder that pursuing one’s dreams is a 24/7/365 endeavor.  It does not begin or end on January 15^th.

So as we celebrate the Dr. King holiday in these troubling and unsettling times, let us be comforted and encouraged by the vision of the Dreamer.  The best way to celebrate Dr. King is to pursue your own dream everyday.

S. A. Miller

1.15.2021