A Mother’s Dream | Shawn Aveningo
I remember it like it was yesterday,
bringing my two identical bundles
home from the hospital. It was Spring, in Atlanta.
I remember rocking them each night
into the wee hours of the morning
blanketing them in as much joy,
pride a mother could possibly secrete,
attempting to feed them a lifetime of confidence
so that when the day came for them to fly,
they would soar, knowing they are always loved.
Every time a mother gives birth,
she gives birth to two dreams:
the dream that evolves within the soul of that child,
to be a firefighter, a dancer or a teacher.
And the dream that never changes,
the one that’s formed with the first fetal flutter,
cemented with the sound of her baby’s first cry,
that dream for her child to be healthy,
happy, loved.
So you see, I have a dream.
I have a dream that every child grows up
in a world, in a country, in a state,
secure that she is free to love
whomever she chooses.
I have a dream where “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
simply becomes, “It Don’t Matter”.
What matters is what’s in your heart,
not what’s written or interpreted
to be true in a book.
What matters is the commitment,
the affection, the devotion,
between two beings,
no matter in what skin color, body shape,
or gender they reside.
What matters is love… period.
You see, it’s time I finally took a stand,
speak up to make you understand
because my daughters deserve
to walk hand in hand
with the one they love
just as my son walks today
in our supposed land
of the free.
You see, he has that privilege without contest or debate,
without the interference of homegrown hate
or those so ignorant they think they can pray the slate
clean of DNA, the very genes that seal our fate,
signal to our hearts who we want to date,
as we meander through this jungle for our one true love.
I mean, isn’t that what we all want in the first place?
Surely, love means more than just the ability to procreate.
I think it’s high time we unite,
we unite in this battle, this fight
the next chapter in pursuit of equal rights,
for all our children.
Because my children
and your children
deserve to live the dream,
to be healthy, to be happy
and above all
loved.
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