The Holidays and Low Income Families

When I think of my childhood and the holidays I remember one holiday out of all of them. It was the year my father had broken his back on his construction job and my mom couldn't find work. We were broke but we had a place to live and that was about it. I had the free lunch program at school to fill my belly and my parents at home everyday to talk about my day. I look back and realize how poor we really were but back then I remember worrying about my dad and hoping he would feel better but never thought about being poor. Being an Atheist it is funny to say but my best holiday was when the local priest came to my house with a nun he was dressed up like Santa and brought me a doll. It was the most magical Christmas for me. Santa came and saw me at home while I was still awake and let me open my gift on Christmas eve. The nun handed my mother a package of food that we needed and Santa/priest gave me and my brother a single present. I have never been so thankful for the holiday.
I don't remember my parents ever saying we were struggling and at 5 I am not sure I would have even understand it but I never worried my parents and brother were there with me. Let's as a community make sure our children in these tough times get those little memories because that is what they remember if we are strong parents.

McDonalds not hiring a transexual Teen?

I read today about a 17 year old transexual who was told by a manager of her local McDonald's that they don't hire "faggots" first off I ask where is that managers mother? Who uses that word along needs a strong talking to. We live in a time where our gay community is under attack after attack and that word is one of the most dangerous words in our vocabulary right now.

The one part of this story that gives me hope is that this young women has a family who has allowed her to transition and I hope that means she has support at home. I am so thankful if this is the case. Our children should always have such support from their families. I always loved the idea that it takes a village to raise our children but the fact is our village has people like that manager so until our communities can lose such biggotry and hatred it comes down to our families being our children's biggest advocate.

We need to remember when our children are little we tell them they can be anything in the world they want when they grow up but in reality there are so many battles they must fight to make that the case and sadly we don't tell them that or if we do they only learn it through life experences. I just hope this strong young women learns strangth from this experence and to keep fighting and not see this as a reason to hide who she truely is.