Big Brothers, Big Sisters,

The other day, I had good news from my Big Brother/Big Sister case worker. She had scheduled an interview for meet a parent for a potential match.... I have been waiting for quite a while to be matched to a little sister....
 I signed up for the program in hopes of giving time, hope, and love to a child who needs attention and a little TLC.

The case worker asked me if I would mind being matched with a black child.  "Of course I don't mind, I replied."

To me, love sees no color. I could love a black child just as easily as a white child.

Love sees no color.

So I met with a mother yesterday. I thought everything went fine. I told her that I am a very caring person. I calmed her fears and let her know that I would do everything I could to make her child feel comfortable around me. I told her that I love both indoor and outdoor activities and that I am very laid back and easy to get along with.....

Today, I got a call from the BBBS caseworker. Apparently, the mother I met with has decided that she would like her child matched with someone "younger" and without any other children...

I couldn't help but wonder if my race was an issue for her.... And I don't know what she means by "younger"

I guess my feelings were slightly hurt. Apparently she had a visual image of the kind of person she wanted to be her daughter's big sister...someone "young" and "without child"

How often do we fail to learn from others because someone looks different than we do? How often do we put people in boxes and let our expecations destroy opportunities?

There is a small part of me that wonders if my race was an issue for her. I don't want to play the "race card" but it made me sad that racism still exists.  I felt sad because I felt as if I understood how black people have felt all those years when they were unable to get jobs because of thier race.

.....When will we learn that love comes in all kinds of packages...black packages..white packages...fat packages, skinny packages... "old" packages....( i guess that would be me..lol) and young packages...

My initial reaction when I heard the news was one of hurt and disappointment. My first instinct was simpy to give up...to quit Big Brothers/Big Sisters altoghether...

I thought of all of the people who have quit God because they were hurt. 

So, instead of feeling hurt....I have gleaned from the lesson....Sometimes life throws us punches. We pick ourselves up, we dust ourselves off, and we keep going.

We simply learn to let it go.

There is a still a child out there who really needs a Big Sister and I know for a fact that I will be a good one.
We don't quit. We just keep going.

I meet with another mom tomorrow. If God wills it, then it will be...and if not,,,then, we try again.