i trust you’ll treat her well…

In honor of the first week of school – this is an amazing work that always brings tears to my eyes. I tried to find the name of the author to give proper credit to this amazing work and in my hunt I found the story modified to blue eyes and blonde hair – I also found one modified for a son rather than a daughter – but I could never find a definitive author. My children are well past this early school age, but the feelings of wanting to protect your children never go away…  Enjoy!

Dear World:

I bequeath to you today one little girl… in a crispy dress… with two brown eyes… and a happy laugh that ripples all day long… and a flash of light brown hair that bounces in the sun when she runs.

I trust you’ll treat her well.

She’s slipping out of the backyard of my heart this morning… and skipping off down the street to her first day of school. And never again will she be completely mine.

Prim and proud she’ll wave her young and independent hand this morning and say “Goodbye” and walk with little lady steps to the schoolhouse.

Now she’ll learn to stand in lines… and wait by the alphabet for her name to be called. She’ll learn to tune her ears for the sounds of school-bells… and deadlines… and she’ll learn to giggle… and gossip… and look at the ceiling in a disinterested way when the little boy across the aisle sticks out his tongue at her. And now she’ll learn to be jealous. And now she’ll learn how it is to feel hurt inside. And now she’ll learn how not to cry.

No longer will she have time to sit on the front porch on a summer day and watch an ant scurry across the crack in the sidewalk. Nor will she have time to pop out of bed with the dawn and kiss lilac blooms in the morning dew. No, now she’ll worry about those important things… like grades and which dress to wear and whose best friends is whose. And the magic of books and learning will replace the magic of her blocks and dolls. And now she’ll find new heroes.

For five full years now I’ve been her sage and Santa Claus and pal and playmate and mother and friend. Now she’ll learn to share her worship with her teachers …which is only right. But no longer will I be the smartest woman in the whole world. Today when that school bell rings for the first time… she’ll learn what it means to be a member of the group… with all its privileges and its disadvantages too.

She’ll learn in time that proper young ladies do not laugh out loud… or kiss dogs… or keep frogs in pickle jars in bedrooms… or even watch ants scurry across cracks in sidewalks in the summer.

Today she’ll learn for the first time that all who smile at her are not her friends. And I’ll stand on the front porch and watch her start out on the long, lonely journey to becoming a woman.

So, world, I bequeath to you today one little girl… in a crispy dress… with two brown eyes… and a flash of light brown hair that bounces in the sunlight when she runs.

I trust you’ll treat her well.

made in America…

I normally steer clear of political topics – it’s too heated and honestly I can see good and bad in just about every argument politicians make – but this really makes sense and I’d like to give it a shot. This isn’t a rally against Chinese products, but a rally FOR American made goods. I’ve missed most of August, but starting today, I’m going to at least check out where the things I buy come from. From what I’ve been hearing, I’m going to be unpleasantly surprised…

AUGUST 1st to SEPTEMBER 1st

      Well over 50 years ago I knew a lady who would not buy Christmas gifts if they were made in China. Her daughter will recognize her by the following.

     Did y’all see Diane Sawyer’s special report? They removed ALL items from a typical, middle class family’s home that were not made in the USA. There was hardly anything left besides the kitchen sink. Literally. During the special they showed truckloads of items – USA made – being brought in to replace everything and talked about how to find these items and the difference in price etc..

     It was interesting that Diane said if every American spent just $64 more than normal on USA made items this year, it would create something like 200,000 new jobs!

     I was buying food the other day at Wal-Mart and on the label of some products it said ‘FROM CHINA’. For example, the “OUR FAMILY” brand of Mandarin Oranges says right on the can ‘FROM CHINA.’ I was shocked; so for a few more cents I bought the Liberty Gold brand or the Dole since it’s from California.

     Why do you need the government to suspend trading privileges? DO IT YOURSELF, AMERICA!!  Simply look on the bottom of every product you buy, and if it says ‘Made in China’ or ‘PRC’ (which includes Hong Kong), simply choose another product, or none at all. You will be amazed at how dependent you are on Chinese products, and you will be equally amazed at what you can do without.

     Who needs plastic eggs to celebrate Easter? If you must have eggs, use real ones and benefit some American  farmer. Easter is just an example. The point is, do not wait for the government to act. Just go ahead and assume control on your own.

     THINK ABOUT THIS: If 200 million Americans each refuse to buy just $20 of Chinese goods, that’s a billion dollar trade imbalance resolved in our favor…fast!!

    Most of the people who have been reading about this matter are planning on implementing this on August 1st and continue it until September 1st.

    If you missed the August 1st date, START NOW.  Send this to everybody you know. Let’s show them that we are Americans and NOBODY can take us for granted. If we can’t live without Chinese goods for one month out of our lives, WE DESERVE WHAT WE GET!