In a van full of pre-schoolers and toddlers you can expect to hear lots of "are we there yet", the Barney song repeated over and over and over again and yes those "mom, he stuck his tongue out at me". What you don't expect is conversations about guns, drugs, jail and police visits among 5 year olds.
It was just a typical hectic day, I was running the kids to school when above the song on the radio I heard a conversation between our three five year olds about jail and drugs. We had just passed a police car when Isaiah blurted "a police man came to my house and arrested my mom and took her to jail". Destiny replied without hesitation, "yeah, the police took my mom away because she left us alone for a very long time and now she's in jail". Bradley added, "my dad went to jail because he got really mad at my mom and hit her". Then Destiny said "my mom does drugs" and Isaiah replied, "yeah, mine too".
I listened to them. I couldn't get over the tone in their voices. Things that horrified me, were common place for these three. I couldn't help but think about the conversations I had overheard other children have; make believe stories about Superman, Santa and the Tooth Fairy. How different, how awful, how unfair...every child deserves a childhood filled with joy, fantasy and laughter.
I wondered how they viewed the police, drugs, jail. I had taught them that the police were good guys who helped us and protected us. They knew them as the people who took their parents away. I had told them how bad drugs were and their parents used them. I had told them to never touch a gun, and their parents owned them.
As I listened I asked myself, "what do I say?" I said nothing, I just listened and cried.
I asked as I drove on...Lord, did you hear that? He gently answer...yes, that's why I've sent you to them.