The Best of Both Worlds

Part of my motivation to pursue my entrepreneurial spirit was to allow flexible time for Q. As a working mom, I was torn between whether it’s better to be home for your kids when they’re younger or older. I asked God to provide a season for me to be home, according to John 14:14, if you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. By standing on the promises, He made a way for me to spend the summer of 2011 with Q as we transitioned from PA to SETX.

James and I are advocates for public school. As such, we purchased our homes in communities with the best educational programs. In both PA and TX, those communities were both semi-rural with little diversity. In Lumberton, Quincy is the only black child in the Intermediate School (4^th – 6^th grades, about 900 students). For cultural balance, we make a concerted effort to have him involved in programs in Beaumont, where there is greater ethnic diversity (but, unfortunately did not meet our criteria for exceptional middle school educational programs).

We opted to move during the school year so that Q could become familiar with the local community and meet new kids during the summer. Sports is big in TX, so he could participate in a summer track club in Beaumont, which would help him condition for fall football league in Lumberton. Generally speaking, the track team was predominately black, while the football will be predominately white.

Q had a couple of incidences during the transition. We were driving home from his first day of VBS, and he casually shared this: White kids tease me because I’m black. Black kids tease me because they are bullies. (of course, my heart ached for him). I asked him how it made him feel. He told me it was OK because he does have friends. This was a proud mommy-moment because I know this experience is building character and wisdom (Matthew 21:16—out of the mouths of babes comes praise).

I mentioned VBS because this was another of our purposed efforts for balance. During the same week in July, we enrolled him in a morning VBS offered by a church in our local community, attended by several kids in the neighborhood. In the evening, he attended a VBS in Beaumont, hosted at the church of a new acquaintance. Again, the kids attending VBS in Lumberton were predominately white, while the kids in Beaumont were predominately black. Thankfully, Q enjoyed both sessions.

I am thankful to be there as a witness and to make general observations. One thing that I noticed, based on these few experiences, is differences on how kids are grouped. In track, he was grouped with the older kids. Q did not win many races against 12-year olds, BUT, he was fastest kid on the field when he tried out for fourth and fifth grade football league. At VBS, in Beaumont he was placed by the grade he was advancing (fifth and sixth grade), while in Lumberton, he was placed by the grade he just completed (third and fourth grade).

As a mom exposing Q to two worlds, which is best? In one world, he is stretched to compete at the next level. In the other world, he has the confidence that comes when you know what you know what you know what you know. Regardless of the world, the one thing I know is that as long as the Son of God is for us, everything will be ok. Now unto Him that is able to keep us (Ephesians 3:20)!

Donnie McClurkin's Ooh Child