A Letter to My Child That Will Never Be Born

As 42 year old childless woman, I often ponder what I would have said to my child if I had chosen to have a child 15 to 20 years ago. I chose to be responsible in my pursuit of being childless and opted to remain childless. It is a choice that has come with much questioning over the years. 

Sadly during the past 15 to 20 years the US has had many acts of terrorism including domestic. 9-11, the Oklahoma Bombing, the Atlanta Bombing, the Boston bombing, and many more.  In addition, the ugly legacy of hate and discrimination has increased during this time period as well.
 
As parent of a biracial child I would had to have extra concern that they would not only be discriminated because of their color or sex but also were at risk for a premature death due to violence. 

If I did have a child today I would tell them the following: 

Do not live in fear. Within our fear lives unbridled hate. From hate prejudice and discrimination are born. Do not be a part of the problem. 

Do not use social media to spread fear and hate. It only adds to the divisions within humanity. 
Do not be a part of the problem. 

Read daily and read widely. If your only source of information are sounds bits from the media, you will be in trouble. 
Do not be a part of the problem. 

Think for yourself and make decisions with concrete facts.  Use  of partial information causes problems. 
Do not be a part of the problem. 

Be willing to be out of your comfort zone often. Growth occurs outside the box. Remaining the the box is problematic. 
Do not be a part of the problem. 

Make friends (true friendships) will all people. If the majority of your friends look like you, talk like you, you may find that your thinking will become limited. 
Do not be a part of the problem. 

Never lose your ability to be a compassionate human being who can empathize with someone outside your shoes. You may not agree, but you must understand. 
Do not be a part of the problem. 

Give back OFTEN. Do not restrict your giving to holidays, disasters, etc. Do so on an ongoing basis. It is the gifts we give the world that make the world go around. 
Do not be a part of the problem. 

Lastly, love the skin you were born with. It is your unique signature in life and you should never be ashamed of who you are, where you have been, and where you are going. 
Do not be a part of the problem. 

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