I had a marvelous day with James yesterday. We had planned our date in
perfection, and although we had a couple of tag-alongs with us (Charlton
had hurt his ankle on Saturday and wasn't ready to go back to school)
and we didn't get to do all that was on our list, what we did we enjoyed
tremendously. First, we stopped at Jackson Street Bridge to snap some
pictures with the Atlanta skyscrapers as the backdrop. Then, we visited
Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site. We
loved reading about this great man, watching some of his sermons, and
hearing his courageous spirit soar as he charged the world with more
kindness and equality. This was not a man of just words; his whole life
was dedicated to acts of service to the betterment of his people, and
to all people. What a transcendent way to start our Black History month!
James and I were really touched by the courage and vision of this
powerful man. We got to drop in the Visitor Center (my favorite), visit
the Ebenezer Baptist Church (Charlton's favorite), pay homage to his
tomb (James's favorite), and check out King's home. This was a
wonderful way to teach my children the power of kindness, courage, love,
and determination, but most of all the power of one! We can all make a
difference. When we got home, we delighted in the warm, sunny weather.
The kids played outside, and I walked with Illyria. To end our date,
James and I read and discussed Emily Dickinson's poetry (he had to read a
poetry book for a school assignment) while snuggling with hot
chocolate. What a perfect day with a perfect gentleman! In the words of
Emily Dickinson herself: "To live is so startling it leaves little time
for anything else.”
