Thru the Eyes of a Child

As a mom, I often struggle with maintaining a balance - preserving their innocence and sheltering them too much.  I want them to grow up with a good grasp on the world around them, but there are somethings you just shouldn't know about at such a young age.  I was raised to believe that people are people - they may be good or bad, but skin color is not a indicator of either of these.  I hope that my children are being raised with the same outlook.  A recent outing makes me think they are.

We have some friends ... they happen to have darker skin than our family.  I'm not sure that a comment has ever been made about this.  I figured that fact registered about as much as the color of my eyes.  On any given day, we are much more concerned with what new toys they have or the impending arrival of their much anticipated (after two recent boys!) baby girl.

There was to be a baby shower for said family.  Due to growing pains at work, I would be dragging three kids with me.  They were much more excited than I was. 

The conversation went something like this:
Little Man:  "Momma, who's party is it?"
Me:  "It's for Mrs. P's baby.  Remember, her name is Payton?"
Little Man:  "I don't remember Mrs. P"
Me:  "Sure you do!  She is 'Parkmer's mommy. Remember?"
Little Man:  "I don't remember her.  What does she look like?"
Diva:  "Yes you do!  She has brown skin.  Her hair is brown and so are her eyes." *sounding quite exasperated at all the questions*
Little Man:  "Why does she have brown skin?"
*at this point I am trying to come up with a four-year-old answer to the question, all the while wondering why all the big conversations must happen while driving*
Diva:  "Because that's how God made her. We have white skin and some people have brown skin 'cause that's how God wanted to make them."
Little Man:  "Okay.  Is there going to be cake at the party?"

Hmm, maybe it isn't all that hard of a question after all ...
It isn't the color of your skin that matters.  It's whether you have cake at the party.
Mrs. P is okay people ... there was cake at her party!