Monday, June 21, 2010

Slow Day to a Helping Hand

I spent most of my day in bed. I woke up with a terrible headache. One of those types that makes you nauseated if you stand up. I guess it is a migraine. I am just glad that I don't really get them very often and that I had a teenager on hand to watch the little ones.


I received some mail from the Medicaid office wanting copies of the kids shot records. Seemed like an odd request to me. I took them up this afternoon along with some paperwork for DSS for our foster care licensing.

I wasn't up to cooking dinner so I took the kids out. We went to Target afterwards to get some new hair products for Larissa. Her hair is changing and I am not happy with her current products. I have found some that I want to order online but in the mean time I wanted to try something new.

Cindy called me while I was there and I told her that I was looking for Larissa some different hair products. I actually had a lady come up to me and ask me if she could help me, she heard me talking on my cell phone.

I told her that I was always willing to take suggestions. She said that she was very hesitant to say anything to me but thought she would try. She told me that the world is changing and that she was happy to see our colorful family.

I really don't mind if someone gives me advice on hair care. I am always willing to learn something new. I try to keep Larissa's hair up, I really care. Don't assume that I don't care when she is having a bad hair day.

I really don't care if folks stare at us either, I know that for the most part they are curious.

I don't mind if they ask questions either.

What I do mind is when they choose to say negative things to us in front of my children.

Yes, that has happened. We have been accused of taking our children from their culture and how they won't be raised right. Well, I'm not sure what my children's specific culture would be, my little ones are black, Puerto Rican and white. I hope she doesn't want me to raise them to be in jail like their dad. Honestly, I think of them as Americans.

Ah, but I am not naive. I know that there are things that they need to learn as black children in America. I know that they will have difficulties and will be judged based on their skin tone. They need to be prepared for that.

Sometimes it is hard because I don't see their skin tone, I see my children.

I wish that the rest of the world did too.

2 comments:

  1. Hope your headache goes away they are the worst! I totally understand where you are coming from with the hair care. I am pretty clueless when it comes to your foster daughters hair. I wish someone would come up to me when I am looking totally lost in the hair care section:) We have been getting a lot of comments lately too. Luckily our foster daughter is to young to know but for some reason people feel like because our family looks different it is an open invitation to say whatever comes to mind.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have learned many things about hair along the way. Just when you find a great product then the texture changes! I do know that you are judged by your childs hair by AA women.

    One of my biggest pet peeves is ashy skin. I can't stand it when we go out and I realize that my kids look ashy. I have learned to keep lotion in my car at all times because I always seem to notice it when I am buckling them in.

    Now, I will notice when other kids are ashy and their hair needs done.....ack.

    ReplyDelete