The Garden

In their innocence, kids say the funniest things. We've probably all heard their opinions of the world through their little eyes and chuckled or even been embarrassed at their poor timing for such observations, but sometimes they ask questions that make us think.
A few years ago, I was teaching kindergarten in an inner city school in Knoxville, Tennessee. It was January and the week before Martin Luther King Day. My students were heavily involved in a lesson and discussion about Dr. King, segregation and civil rights. (Yes, kindergarten... don't underestimate their ability to understand deep topics.) In the back of my room stood the husband of a coworker and our class visitor for career day (he also happened to be a black man). Suddenly, my blonde haired, blue eyed Patrick speaks up and asks, "Miss Pucker, why did God make black people?" I froze. My eyes popped up to see what Mr. Grays reaction would be and Patrick sat there and patiently awaited my answer. Then it came to me...
Me: Patrick, if you planted a garden, would you plant just red flowers?
Patrick: No.
Me: Would you plant just orange flowers?
Patrick: No.
Me: Blue?
Patrick: No.
Me: What would you plant?
Patrick: Well, I'd plant all kinds of flowers.
Me: Well, we're like God's garden and he likes a lot of colors, too.
Patrick: OK.
I smiled. Mr. Gray smiled and to Patrick, it was as simple as that, "OK".
We celebrate the life of Dr. King on Monday, but we should celebrate his teachings and message every day. Every year, I am reminded of that conversation with Patrick and how simple it's message was and how it made me think. We are like a garden, each flower beautiful in it's own way. Together we have the potential to make something magnificent, if we could all learn to accept and respect the beauty and diversity of all cultures. Dr. King dreamed of this and others continue in his footsteps. Let's not forget. God loves diversity and color, why can't we?