Issue 18: Family
Janice Croze || Founder/Owner, 5 Minutes for Mom
As neighbours and friends, we Canadians held our breath as America voted. We knew the vote would not just determine America’s fate, but all of North America’s and the rest of the world’s.
While Americans sided with issues and party lines, those of us outside the US borders felt the world begging for change. We hoped and some of us prayed.
And then it happened. We watched the first African American President of the United States emerge, one hand waving to the crowd, the other holding the hand of his young daughter. We couldn’t turn away from the historical scene.
As a mother, I held my daughter and breathed in hope. While crowds around the world cheered, I quietly watched a family – an ordinary family who had faced challenges and injustices – triumph together and show the world that revolutionary change is possible.
Family life is bigger than an administration. It is shaped over generations and varies from country to country, city to city, and house to house.
But Barack Obama represents perseverance, determination and hope. He is a symbol of realizing the impossible.
Regardless of political opinions, we can look at his humble beginnings and see the sacrifices and commitment of family. He triumphed and changed the world because of family members coming together to raise a child.
Right now, families all over the world are dealing with the consequences of war and economic crisis. There are no quick and painless solutions to the challenges the new administration meets.
But there is hope. And we can bring that hope into our homes. We can teach our children that the world is changing. What was unimaginable just a few decades ago has happened.
The generation we are raising right now can also revolutionize the world.
They can break down barriers, they can endure and conquer. They can rise from humble stations and become great leaders. They can become better people.
It is our job as their parents to give them the education, the courage, the belief and the hope to do so. It is our job to take the inspiration of Barack Obama and instil it in our families.
Recent Responses
You are so right- no matter where we stand, change is going to happen and must happen for growth. A perfect opportunity to encourage our children and families that this is a good thing- and it’s up to us to take those first steps in a positive direction.
Steph
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44 Issues in 44 Days
Explore and respond to the issues that matter to you.
# 9: Youth Culture
# 25: Judicial Policy
# 30: Iraq War
# 28: Agriculture
# 38: Child Advocacy
# 33: Design
Inaugural Insight
- The inauguration for the first U.S. president, George Washington, was held on April 30, 1789 in New York City.