These boys are the joy of my life…they offer me stability, sanity, insanity, laughter; they offer sorrow and hurt and energy unbound. I get to have the privilege of raising them and in that – they raise me. They offer companionship, they offer love, hugs, smacks and rough-housing; they offer ears to listen and ears to hear. They give sound advice and call me out on my bullshit. They are teenagers and the heartbeat of our home. We teach each other, about right and wrong. We navigate the world of racism and Whiteness we live in. We learn that my boys are Trayvon Martin – that in a way, all people are.
I shudder for them when they step out onto the streets of NYC where we live. I worry for their safety in this “Stop and Frisk” world we negotiate. They help me work with the students and teachers I serve in New York City. It is a tough world out there for students of color and for the teachers who teach them and this is my path…to try to make their way easier…as we all go along the paths we travel…