While my husband and I were discussing how many eggs to get and color for our annual Easter egg hunt with the kids we were in a slight disagreement. As part of our Easter celebration, we have an egg hunt at my parents. My husband and brother hide all the colorful decorated eggs on the front lawn, which is probably about an acre or more.

The disagreement was that I wanted to get at least four dozen, knowing my sister-in-law would probably do the same. While this is relatively inexpensive at $1 per dozen, this is not my husband’s favorite tradition. As he so pointed out that we end up wasting so many eggs and this is food. He knows how to pull at my heart as he continued with “there are so many starving people in the world”.

As I left and drove to work that morning, I started to feel guilty and reluctantly admitted to myself that he was right.

I love watching my kids with their cousins hurry out the front door with excitement to find the colorful assortment of eggs that we spent hours decorating. It is one of my favorite traditions, probably because I used to do this as a child with all of my cousins and it is a fabulous childhood memory.

I needed a compromise! Then the idea of sending a family eggs in need came to me. I had read about it online, and was familiar with World Vision, since we just agreed to sponsor a child in Zambia through our church.

So a new tradition was born! This tradition would teach our kids about the importance of giving and be able to provide food for a family. I hope the family that received our chicken gift will have plentiful eggs and know that someone, somewhere is thinking of them!

For me, Martin Luther King, Jr. day is a day that deserves a grand celebration of honor. My awareness of racial issues has grown over the last eight years since I married my husband in 2003, who is black (and/or African-American), and we have three interracial children. Martin Luther King, Jr. day is a day to pray for love and equality and remember that had it not been for him and other civil rights activists, I may not have been able to marry my amazing husband. It is also a day to pray that my children will never know such hatred and injustice. That they will be welcomed always and not turned away for the color of their skin, but embraced for who they are as humans with compassion.

However, in asking my husband what the day meant for him, his response of it being another day was a little shocking. He then expanded to say, “Yes, we should celebrate and honor today, but it is what happens tomorrow and the other 365 days, that which we can’t turn a blind eye to what is wrong. To stand up against racism and hate everyday, not just on Martin Luther King, Jr. day, that is how we truly honor and live out the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr..”

For many, Martin Luther King, Jr. day is a day to honor, but to my husband, everyday is Martin Luther King, Jr. day. So as his wife and mother of our three beautiful children, I will commit to honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. and his legacy tomorrow, next week, next month and so on, so that everyday becomes a decision to love.

“I have decided to love. If you are seeking the highest good, I think you can find it through love. And the beautiful thing is that we are moving against wrong when we do it, because John was right, God is love. He who hates does not know God, but he who has love has the key that unlocks the door to the meaning of ultimate reality.” –Martin Luther King, Jr.

Chicken of Hope

A Decision to Love