Racism strikes at our hearts

"The Help" is an exceptional first novel by Kathryn Stockett. I haven't read a book that captivated me like this one for a long, long time. Well, in actual fact I didn't "read" this book at all. I listened to it being read by some incredible narrators. That added immensely to the experience. "The Help" is a story that takes place in Jackson, Mississippi during the early 1960's. Black housekeepers and nannies are known as "help" in that state. In this novel, a group of them are interviewed by a white journalist and their stories are compiled into a book. These stories will draw you in, make you laugh, make you cry and make you ache for the evil that is racism. I did not want to stop listening; I wanted to put my life on hold till I found out what happened to the women involved. A good book should make you a better person and this one certainly gave me a much greater appreciation of the race situation, relationships, friendships and much more. A minor take-away from the reading - one of the characters was in the habit of writing out her prayers every day. It ended up making her a better writer all round. I think this would be a great habit for me to get into.

Do mothers still put hand-made sweaters on their babies? I hope so because I've found them very satisfying to make - quick and so adorable. I recently finished another yoked cardigan for a baby shower gift. Made out of Moda Dea washable wool, it should be an easy item to take care of.

If we all take one small action...

Sometimes you feel powerless when seeing all the tragedy around the world. You want to change things; make a difference; have some significance in your life.

Today is Freedom Sunday. A day when people around the world of every faith and non-faith, come together through action and prayer to take one step closer to freedom from human trafficking. Join hands with us.

Freedom Sunday from David Hepburn on Vimeo.

This weekend is Thanksgiving in Canada. It’s fitting that at least once in the year we take some time to reflect on what we are thankful for. As Christians, of course, we should be expressing our thanks to God daily. I am thankful for a God who loves me and brought me into his family at a time when I was most needy. My attitude towards life changed, even though my life circumstances didn’t right away. The bible tells us to acquire wisdom. I am thankful that today I am wiser than I was 24 years ago, pre-Jesus. But it’s humbling to realize that the “growing in wisdom” never ends.

I am also thankful today for my hard-working husband who puts up with my ever-eccentric interests. I’m thankful for my children, who are all developing as interesting individuals and who all are following the Lord in their individual ways. I’m thankful for the rest of my family, all living close by. What a blessing that is! My good friends are also something to be thankful for. They keep me grounded. God’s grace is sufficient for my needs and I am eternally thankful for what He has provided.

It is fitting that I read The Book of Negroes this week. This tale is a reminder of the suffering that Africans went through for so long in the slave trade. I was on the wait list at the library a long time for this book – it’s obviously popular, and for good reason. It is well written and engaging. My heart broke all along the way and finally on the last page my tears came. This book is not for the faint of heart and is very graphic in its descriptions of what went on. But you will finish it having developed a relationship with the main character and will keep her with you for a long time. What really struck me as we followed Aminata through her life is how long the slave trade went on. When she was captured as an eleven year old and taken to America, there were slaves there who had been born in the United States. And then when she was old and working to end the slave trade, there were still Africans being kidnapped and exported; generations of people forming a tide of suffering, shame and humiliation. We must continue to read books like this one, so that we will never forget and hopefully, never repeat what went on.

One of my WIP (works in progress) resembles a Thanksgiving cornucopia. Can you guess what it’s eventually going to be?

Getting inside someone else's skin

My sixteen year old son and I both enjoyed "Zack" by William Bell. We probably got different things out of it because of the difference in our ages and life perspectives. I'm sure he related to the main character - a teenage boy just starting to stretch his wings and crave independence. The historical aspect of the novel was significant, with a lot of research having gone into it. Basically, this is the story of a young black youth coming to terms with his ancestry - his father a Jew and his mother African/American. I felt it gave me a better understanding of the race issue especially comparing Canadian to American outlooks. This is definitely a young adult book - there are girl/boy episodes that younger children shouldn't be exposed to. And there is a little bit of "language". All in all, though, this is a book well worth reading for the development of the concept and even for the poetic language he includes. Bell paints many mental images through his use of words that certainly add to the depth of the book.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

A few years ago I finally read "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It's one of those classics that I'd heard so much about, but had never actually read myself. Apparently this book made SUCH an impact in the United States after it was written - people finally started "getting it" about slavery. I wanted to see if the book really was as impacting as I had heard. And yes, it was. I could see how a sensitive mind would be changed by the life stories Harriet Stowe had in her book. On the 200 year anniversary of the abolition of slavery in England I would like to reread this important book.

After reading this book I began to wonder if a book on a more modern "issue" would have the same impact in today's world. I came to the conclusion that it would probably take something with a multimedia approach to reach the masses today. Like, for instance, a movie or Youtube. Just look at how many people tuned into "the bride freaking out over her hair" Youtube episode. There are plenty of crucial messages that need to be brought to the forefront – I hope and pray that concerned citizens are being raised up to use whatever resources needed to capture the attention of people who can then take action and make a difference.