Monday, the kids and I joined Philly Cru students in Kensington to help with a service project. I loved it! The block captain, Ms. Gwen, was inviting and enthusiastic, and we enjoyed working with her to clean up the sidewalks and streets within a couple block radius around her home.
When we reconvened at Ms. Gwen’s, however, it was discovered that three of the students’ backpacks (with wallets and phones) had been stolen from her house while we were out. Using the “find my phone app” Andy and some others were able to find the thief and he was arrested, on theft and drug charges (because he was also carrying some of those).
As it was, Hudson and Avery knew some of what happened. At the end of the day, I was praying while tucking the kids in. Avery, who doesn’t usually join in, interrupted, “And God, please be with the bad guy that’s in jail. Please help him see the lies and know the truth and choose the truth.” I’m struck that she cares for this guy. And that her prayer got to the heart of it: (in kid lingo) that he would recognize the junk entangling him, get out of it, and live in newfound freedom.
Kids are amazing. And developing understanding like this, in lieu of fear and judgement, is one of the things that I am thankful that raising our kids in Philly helps us do!
this riven bloom 