Day 15: The wish List

(c) 2015 P.Lynne Designs

Every year without fail, I have given my parents (who are now both in their late 70’s) a list of what I wanted for Christmas.  Some years I would write it out, and some years I would verbally tell them.  This was their idea from when I was young, so they will not be confused on which child wanted which toy or gift from them.  I appreciated the gesture, so I would not get a boy toy (my brother), a little girl toy (my sister, who came along in my 20’s), or a baby toy (my nephew).  Sure, I could tell as I opened up each gift.

One year, when we got our first computer/game console, I was confused on why I got a tape recorder that went to the game console (an Atari 2600) while my brother got the game console itself.  While my brother was very happy in telling me not to touch the console (How else are you supposed to play Donkey Kong?), my parents were too eager to tell me that the game console was for both of us. I felt better, whereas, my brother did not.  My sister and nephew got into a similar argument years later with their gifts.

As I got older, I decided that it did not matter if I got the gift or not, but when I asked, my parents got it.  I have asked of the same thing from my niece and nephew (my sister’s children) who are 7 and 8.  The youngest nephew can tell me what he want, because he just turned 5, rather than write it.

I want to turn back to my wish list for a moment

because I do ask of something.  This is not just my parents, but from everyone in America (including myself).  I ask that we stop being so hatred towards one another.  I know it is hard, especially when this is the hardest time of the year, and of the recent shootings across the country.  Do not be like Donald Trump, spewing hatred, because you have some money and you are afraid.  In fact, you do not need money to hate, I am just pointing him out because he is running for president.  I am afraid too, but at the moment, I am more afraid of losing my life because a car hit my car, not a gun.

Last week, one of the departments at my church had a meeting, and the meeting had to do with security.  I never thought that there would be any talk about securing a church during service, when we are feeding the hungry in our food pantry, or during choir rehearsal.  The whole thing just scares me to death, but I am keeping my cool, and I am refraining from speaking hatred towards the Muslims.  Why?  Because I am an African American, and my race always deals with being hated, even sometimes within our own race.

So, during this Christmas season (and I refuse to say holiday), please be mindful that not all Muslims have ISIS on their minds, just like all African Americans do not hate white people or fear the police.  We are all Americans, just trying to live day by day, and mom and dad, this is part of my wish list for Christmas 2015.