you have the right to remain silent

....or do you???
--

so a couple of days ago, i was talking to my friend and fellow blogger (http://thelifeandtimesofsunshine.blogspot.com) about her desire to start a mentoring program..how she had been putting it off for a few years, but was finally going to start pulling the pieces together for the framework of her vision. we talk often about our upbringings, in particular our incredibly complex relationships with our mothers and how that has shaped who we are as women and as parents. we talk about what we wish someone had said to us way back when, and what we will say to our own kids. we also both agree how impactful the interest, encouragement, and love of a person can be on another person--in particular a young person--who may otherwise have had all of life's cards stacked against them. each one, teach one/paying it forward are both values that we strongly believe in, and try to practice in our everyday lives.

which sparked my thoughts and brings me to today's blog....

as we all relish in the moment that has certainly changed the course of history, we must say to ourselves--"ok, now what?" BO was able to win both the Popular and Electoral vote, foundationally, by running a grassroots campaign. knocking on doors, talking to ppl where they were, phone-banking, connecting with ppl on a one-on-one level through his 700 satellite offices. Those $7M+ votes that clobbered McC came not from fancy ads on television, six-figure suits, or nasty judgementalism. it came from a campaign of humility, compassion, empathy, and practicality.

what if we modeled our lives in that way and were "grassroots" in our approach? what if we took the time to reach out to a young person...or an older person....around us, that society has left behind? truth be told, ALL of us have made it through something: teen pregnancy, dysfunctional families, mental illness, sexual assault, financial ruin, drug/alcohol addiction, abusive relationships, being raised in the so-called "hood", etc...the list goes on and on. the truth also be told, many of us made it through these things not only with the help of God, but also with the help of His angels--ppl that shared their stories with us, embraced us, and encouraged us that we too could make it. let us not have 'made it' so far, that we lose sight of how we got to where we are in the first place.

as some of you reading this post know, i have a heart for young girls, specifically those in the pre-teen/teen bracket. i recently started working with our female Rites of Passage ministry at our church called Intonjane('coming into womanhood'), and i love it! as a teen girl who feels in many ways that she was 'left behind,' it is my goal to prevent that from happening, atleast to one girl. i want to reach out, mentor, and educate who i call "the Dunkin Donuts Girls"--the teenage girls i see everyday in the DD by PC's school: loud, FOUL-mouthed, angry, and obviously hurting--lacking guidance and wisdom about the ppl--the LADIES--that they were created to be.

maybe working with young ppl isn't your thing, but you most certainly have a "thing"--some way you can nurture/shape/encourage others. i challenge each of you to not let Pres BO feel the complete weight of the world of his shoulders. even after he is sworn in on the 20th of January, our inner-city communities will be still be in peril, our boys will still be under attack, our girls will still be lacking self-esteem, and the love of God will still need to be invoked for healing.

now that it's after the morning after....what will YOU do?