Caring Heart: Ethnicity and Teasing

This meditation was written for foster and adoptive parents whose children struggle with those who continue to have narrow definitions of "family" and prejudice on top of that.

They are teasing him.  Children can be so cruel.  It used to be just person questions.  "Why are your parents white and you're not?"  "Are you adopted?" "Why is your face so different from your parents?"  Then it became mocking his eyes, her hair, anything they could point our as different.  Now it is flat-out name-calling.  Cruel, mocking names.  Names that he doesn't even understand, but she knows from the tone of voice that they are taunts.  Knows the words are meant to hurt.  They do hurt.  Ease her pain.  Soothe his wounded heart.  Bless the cruel children with an understaning of what it is like to be different. Bless this child with a determination never to be cruel, to be different, to make a difference.  Give this child strength from that determination.  Heal his heart. Amen.

Excerpted from "The Caring Heart Speaks: Meditations for foster, kinship, and adoptive parents" by Gail Underwood Parker