National Children's Day!

We celebrate Mother’s Day. Then comes Father’s Day. And there’s also Secretaries Day, Veterans’ Day, Columbus Day, and even Mule Day, Hermit Day, and Feast of Fabulous Wild Men Day (January 12, if you didn’t know).
As a bright little youngster, I realized that I fit into none of these categories. So one day I remember asking my mom, “Why is there no ‘Kid’s Day?’” Her wise response- “Every day is Kid’s Day.” That was definitely true in my home- thanks, mom. However, today, June 1st, is China’s National Children’s Day. The moment I heard about this celebration, I thought to myself “Aha! Now I understand how I’ve found my way to China. We think alike, the Chinese and I” (as if no child has ever asked their parents the same question… but I’d like to think it was original). However, in a little internet search, I actually found that in 2001, President Bush wrote a proclamation declaring the first Sunday in June as “National Child’s Day” as well. So kids, (there is no age restrictions attached) I hope you get ahold of this blog in time to live it up!

So, let me share some highlights from our Children’s Day Celebration here at PHF, and then highlight some cool parts of the proclamation.

We actually celebrated this last Friday. They sure know how to have fun here at PHF! The staff was busy making preparations all week for it. So, after lunch and naps, the kids got to skip the last two hours of school, and enjoy a sort of carnival-type afternoon. Face-painting, crafts, water-balloons and squirt guns, candy, music, a big blow-up moon-bounce toy thing, and McDonald’s for dinner! The kids were loving their lives. But really, they love even the simplest of things- so this was like joy to the max.

Though only an hour from Beijing, I live in a more isolated part of China- about twenty minutes outside of a "town" called Langfang (and yes, a "town" of over a million!). The PHF campus is nestled in the middle of fields, tree groves, and little traditional neighborhoods. Recently, I had one guy in Beijing ask me "What in the world do you DO in Langfang for fun- there’s nothing out there?" Well, through this blog I hope to introduce you to some of the treasures of Langfang- and why I’m having the time of my life here. It is these beautiful, creative, resilient children I live and work among.

Besides being a fun day for kids, I think that the celebration of Children’s Day across the world has a much deeper purpose. As expounded upon in the above-mentioned proclamation, it is to remind us adults of our duties to the world’s “most precious resource, our children.” It also states that “Every youngster deserves to live in a safe, permanent, and caring family…” Though government cannot make people love eachother, it can “cultivate a climate that helps families, as well as the individuals and groups that support them.” The document mentions the current crisis of single-parent homes, and the need to “promote responsible fatherhood, in all its aspects, including spiritual leadership, emotional security, and financial support” (sound familiar? See The Family: A Proclamation to the World). Oh, that these dear children whom I have so quickly grown to love, could have these basic and essential elements of a real home! It continues “We must also help families in crisis, protect children from abuse and neglect, and encourage adoption…” This is where I put in a plug for any of you considering the prospect of adoption. I was able to witness the first meeting of an adoptive family and little Sadie this week, and it is truly a marvelous and life-changing event for all parties involved.

The document concludes “Every child… has unique gifts to offer. We must nurture our children’s dreams, help them develop their talents and abilities, and ensure their healthy development so that they may reach their full potential. Our success in this vital endeavor will affect the direction of their lives and the future strength and vitality of our Nation.” No matter what our relation is to children- whether parent, sibling, aunt, uncle, or the neighborhood “candy-grandma” (which my mother has become on Cherry Circle), we all can take this day to think of our influence on those little guys in our lives, and evaluate how we are doing in this most important role.

Happy Kid’s Day!

(And sorry, for some reason I can only post one picture for the time... I've got plenty more to show, so I'll work on fixing that!)