Posts Tagged ‘dads’

How important is our environment?

Last year, I was doing some volunteer work and had the opportunity to get to know a 5 year old boy named Bill.  Bill lived with his mother and grandmother in a small 2 bedroom apartment. Bills’ mother worked 2 jobs to put food on the table, and his father was in jail.

After I completed my project with this family, I remember thinking to myself – “What is going to become of Bill?”

His environment is filled with individuals who have struggled and never achieved a great deal.  I concluded that it’s likely that he will end up in a similar situation to his mother or worse, his father.

Then I began to consider what would happen if Bill were provided with the same environment as my son Ian.

Every day Ian is told that he is amazing and can achieve anything that he wants – anything!  He is fed a nutritious breakfast every morning by his stay at home mother and greeted every day when he gets off the bus.  He wears new clothes to school every year and has more toys than any 6 year old could ever need.

When he enters high school he will be adequately prepared to handle the challenges in front of him and he will be provided with the guidance and support to enter college (if he chooses – if he doesn’t, he better be playing professional basketball).

Once he graduates, he will receive the necessary support to think through difficult career choices.  If he chooses to have a family, he will having loving grandparents who will help him to make good decisions.

Ian has a huge advantage over Bill.  Huge.

So, this caused me to wonder – “Am I doing enough to make a meaningful difference in the lives of people like Bill?”

Probably not.

Are you?

This week I would like challenge you to reach out to someone who needs it.

Make a difference.

Inspire hope.