Not All Rainbows Contain Primary Colors.

It’s been so long, I should probably introduce myself again. Hi! I’m Lindsay. I’m a tired mom of 2, and life couldn’t seem any more discombobulated. Single parents and parents of multiples…your crowns have gotten bigger, and your capes have gotten longer. Enlighten yourself here. 😁 Since my last post, I have had a sweet baby girl who is now 4 months old. Time has flown by and is just getting faster by the day. Now I’m blessed with two tiny half-Swedes…and the full-blooded Scandinavian father saint who keeps me sane. 🤩 The Swede.

2020 has been a crazy year. A year in which a lot of people wish they could hit delete and start again. Political unrest. Hello election year . A virus that literally shut down the world. Unless you live in Sweden. Racially unjust, heinous crimes that cost the lives of human beings. Inhumanity.

I grew up in a loving, Christian household. The “race” topic didn’t surface much. My parents had black friends, and I went to school with black kids. Two of my very first childhood friends from school were black. In my little world, white and black people co-existed beautifully, and I didn’t know any different. It wasn’t until 7th grade while riding the bus that my ignorant bubble was burst. A boy, around my age, started talking about a black family using terrible language, including the n-word. I don’t remember his name, but I’ll never forget his face, and to this day, the words still make me cringe. That night my mom tried to explain to me the unfairness that plagued our world. Racism wasn’t just something that I read about at school. It wasn’t just something that was portrayed on TV. It existed. And still does. I learned then that racism is something we are taught…something we learn, but it wouldn’t be until much later that I would fully understand that.

In the movement toward equality, a lot of people have said that we shouldn’t see color. Color blindness affects 5-10% of the U.S. population, and I bet if you asked any one of the people affected by it, they wouldn’t choose it. So why would we? See color, see what’s underneath the color, and recognize that is part of what makes each person who they are. Honor the heritage and culture that comes with each color. I see my childhood friend’s kids that are bi-racial, who I have always considered my nieces and nephew. They are sweet, intelligent, and are going to make a difference in our world. I also worry about what prejudices they may encounter as they get older and are more aware. I see my dear friend who is Indian, whose skin color is brown, and I wish more people in the world had the heart of gold that he does. I see my uncle, the black man my aunt is married to, and I see the witty, intelligent person he is, and the awesome father figure he has been to my cousins. I see the two black females in my first “career job” that left a huge impact on my life, teaching me so many life skills and lessons that I would never learn in school. One of them, who I always considered a 2nd mom, still calls to check on me almost 15 years later. I see my two amazing friends that are half American and half Mexican–both with hilarious, bold, loving personalities. I would trust both of them with my life. I see my son’s teachers who have showed him so much love. I’m so grateful God has placed them in our lives. I see my colleagues of color, professors of accounting, business, and law. A preacher. An entrepreneur. A management guru…one who has mentored me and worked side-by-side with me creating content to further the education of others. I see my students…made up of different races, genders, ethnicities, ages…all coming from different backgrounds. I teach them about business, but they teach me so much about life.

We all have some prejudices whether it relates to skin color, hair color, age, size, religion, sexual orientation, education…the list is endless. It’s our flawed human nature. We can unlearn these biases by living and having an open heart and mind to love everybody. I run past this sign in my neighborhood almost every day. It’s a reminder that racial injustice affects everyone no matter the color of your skin.

God put a rainbow in the sky as a promise that He would never destroy the earth again with a flood. (Genesis 9:13-17) Today, rainbows are a symbol of hope in many cultures. They represent a promise of better times to come. Our world is a multitude of colors with each person making up a different part of the rainbow. Let’s not destroy God’s creation. Love everybody.

Side Notes:

• If you are interested in educating yourself, there are a ton of books out there. One I would recommend is White Fragility. I am almost done with it and have found it very eye-opening. It steps on toes and could possibly make you feel somewhat uncomfortable. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Do one thing everyday that scares you. Those small things that make us uncomfortable help us build courage to do the work we do.”

Big Hugs. Lots of Love.

Pardon My Thoughts.