BY HEATHER COAKLEY
As the newest staff member of One Bread Foundation, I thought I'd take a moment to introduce myself.
I am one of those people who loves "lingo" and enjoys finding creative ways to express the basics. My best friend is actually known for making hyperbole into an art form, and I am not far behind her in that regard. Over the past few years, I've realized that there are some exaggerations that are maybe not the best to use, simply because words are powerful in shaping our thoughts. For example, I've been trying to train my children, ages 9 and 7, not to say "I'm starving" but rather to say "I'm very hungry" because they know nothing of actual starvation. They likely learned the phrase from me, and I'm working to change the way I speak about things to match the truth of the situation.
Since joining One Bread, I've started feeling convicted about another phrase that rolls off my tongue easily and often, namely my habit of referring to an unfortunate event as "a nightmare." In reality, my not being able to find a spot in the Trader Joe's parking lot when I only have fifteen minutes to run in before picking my kids up from school is not a nightmare. Looking in the mirror after a long conversation with someone at the hole-in-the-wall taco bar and finding that I had cilantro in my teeth is not a nightmare. Children who are held in captivity - whether the chains that hold them are literal or psychological - and forced to perform acts that no child should ever be exposed to, let alone participating in... THAT is a nightmare.
I am connected to One Bread Foundation for likely the same reasons that you are reading this blog post. We all want to see justice on the earth. We want to see children living in safety and freedom. We can't fix this nightmare overnight, but we can do SOMETHING. Let's do something. Let's do something together.
The Events page of our website lists upcoming community awareness events sponsored by One Bread Foundation. Each one is an opportunity to educate ourselves and raise money while connecting with like-minded people who want to see a different future for children who desperately need our help. Will you please put these dates on your calendar and plan to join us there?