My friend Ellen and I took a rare Monday evening to head to the movies. We had passes to see "The Help" - and we both loved not only the chance to sit and eat sushi together before the movie, but also the chance to see a flick on the silver screen. Neither of us tend to do this very often.
The movie made me think about the powerful bond between a mother and her child - for better or worse. "The Help" points out that in the Jim Crow South, black Americans loved and raised white babies. Eventually, these babies grew up and would own either them, or the rights to their labor. It drives home the point about just how powerful a lesson is, when it comes from Mom. In many, many cases, a child was raised by a black American and the lesson of treating them as a second class citizen (learned from Mom) was more powerful than the lesson of being loved by the person that took care of them.
In this particular case, it's sad. Really sad. But it's also a refreshing thought for a working mom. That the lessons I try and convey to my children will be the most important ones.
Of course, I'm trying to convey the lessons of treating everyone with dignity and to always work against inequalities. I think that's where peace begins. And despite all the turmoil that surrounds us these days, I look at my children and know that the future can be good, indeed.
Elaine
Disclosure: I received two free passes to see a preview of "The Help". I enjoyed the movie - although any movie about the segregated South makes me cringe inside, and am told I'll enjoy the book even more. My sister saw it today and gave it the thumbs up as well.
I LOVED the book. I read it in one sitting.
ReplyDelete