Saturday, May 18, 2013

Over at dVerse



Kelvin, over at dVerse, recently received a horribly racist and ugly comment about Asians. After reading his post, I am moved to write about my very lovely daughter, Zenny, a beautiful and golden-hearted girl from the Phillipines, whom my son was incredibly lucky to marry in 2000. She is as much a daughter to me as my other two girls.

Canada is a highly multicultural society, and we are proud of living together with respect to "differences", knowing that the underlying sameness is simply this: we are all human beings.

Kelvin asked us to write something on the topic of Asians. I know there are many other great responses to this prompt, so do click over to dVerse and take a look, to support people who are trying to rise above the true ugliness of racial slurs, one of the most offensive things I can personally think of.

In her life,
she has only ever been
good and kind,  
generous and giving, and sweet.
She hurts because she lives 
so far from home,
hurts because her mother's life 
is still so hard,
hurts because
so few of her simple dreams 
ever came true.

But this girl is as strong 
as the coconut tree,
and as sweet as the mangoes
that grow so plentifully back home.
Her smile is as beautiful
as the morning sun, rising.
Her eyes are as clear and honest
as the night sky.

Her heart belongs to the ocean,
the forest, and its wild creatures,
but she lives, now, on the prairie,
twice displaced from her ocean home.
Yet she is cheerful, caring,
hard-working and willing,
and always upbeat. 

Anyone who says an entire
race of people
is (fill-in-the-blank)
offends me in my soul.
They are missing
a vital piece of inner information:
we are, each one of us,
just human beings,
trying to make our way.

"Forgive them, 
for they know not 
what they do."
But let's hope, 
one day, soon,
they get a clue.




19 comments:

  1. Couldn't agree with you more, Sherry. My former sister-in-law was from Thailand and had a gorgeous daughter named Mem. They taught my children how to prize differences in many ways. Thanks for this one,

    Elizabeth

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  2. So true, Sherry. We are all just human beings, and our HEARTS pump the same color blood! Well expressed poem.

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  3. ...we live to feel the beauty in every thing created more than what our eyes can perceive... beauty as defined by mere eyes is null / empty... but beauty as defined by heart is the greatest gift of love, acceptance & peace --- the real kind & one that matters the most... what you see to others as flaws is what you are lacking from inside & out...thank you Sherry... smiles...

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  4. I love the message Sherry, underneath we are all human beings ~ Your daughter in law is lovely and I know the feeling of loneliness too well ~

    Wishing you happy weekend dear ~ Did I tell you that I am flying to Vancouver this July to visit my relatives ~ I can't wait to see those mountains ~

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  5. ugh...yeah i hear you sherry...it is ignorance...they really dont know the people to make hate filled blanket statements like that...in the end we are all human...people...deserving respect...i do hope they get a clue...

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  6. Does she experience racism? I hope not. You have shone her to be a human being with enough cares of her own. And the parallels to humans and to Jesus on the Cross are striking.

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  7. This was wonderful and I feel sad when people are disrespected. I do not understand it! I have seen it and it makes me upset. I am glad you addressed it and how amazing is Zenny! I know you have a beautiful relationship, just like mother n' daughter!
    I love your poem~

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  8. So heart warming and still there are people who care and don't just look into race.....lovely!!!

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  9. Prejudice exist, we have to learn and always always remember - we are all humans.

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  10. ah she has a beautiful smile and i love how you describe her strength and beauty in your verse... we really need to learn to respect each other, no matter the color of skin or place in society

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  11. I really appreciated your words, and the ending was just so spot on.

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  12. Sherry!

    " we are, each one of us,
    just human beings,
    trying to make our way..."--This says it all! You've a golden heart, and Zenny is lucky to have you as a MIL..Awe, she's a gorgeous girl....beautiful sentiments. Love it!

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  13. It is pleasing to hear you are so fond of you daughter in law.I think this makes everything so much easier for families. Unfortunately it is not always the case (mixed marriages or not)You are both lucky!

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  14. This gave me the chills, Sherry. What a lovely tribute to your beautiful daughter in law. I'm grateful to enjoy the richness of a multicultural community, too. How boring it would be if we were all the same.

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  15. A lovely and loving tribute - and I so like your closing!

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  16. Very very lovely! I do connect with this piece! Hope your daughter in law has read this piece. She ll be happy! and well yes, forgiveness to move fwd.

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  17. Sherry darling, you picked out our beautiful coconut tree!

    Take care and thank you - for loving -

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  18. Such a wonderful ode to your daughter, who is the embodiment - along with your family, and how you extended that family to include her - of how the world should be.

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