Children Who Care

About two weeks ago my son (13) shared with me his response to Markus Zusak’s, The Book Thief, I was both moved and inspired by the way he articulated what it means to have the courage to stand up for, speak out against, and take action to help other human beings, even when it is at great personal risk.

I share this because daily we are bombarded with negative messaging about our youth, yet there are countless children who care to make a difference and have the ability to articulate it. They need to be brought to the forefront, recognized, encouraged, and mentored.

The other reason I share this is because when we are working to effect change there are moments that can leave one feeling as if the work will never be done and candidly it won’t be…

“True courage and humanity is shown when people work even when they are hurting. Any person can show courage and humanity when times are good. Fighting to the death for something you believe in shows courage, humanity, selflessness, and honor. Courage: to work and not give up, Humanity: to know what is right and wrong, Selflessness: to give your life for another’s, and Honor: to know what you are doing is actually worth fighting for. While some fought and died, they died fighting for what they believed in and should always be remembered as a strong person.” –Kodiak Waldal, Response to The Book Thief, written by Markus Zusak, (An Excerpt)