This child.
That child.
Your child.
My child.
Every single child is so precious, so full of life.
The innocence of a child's life rings of fragility.
James Mollison's project
"Where Children Sleep" grips my heart. It is
in print; however, you can view it
digitally online to see the images of children around the world and where they sleep.
As I began to look at each photo, my heart felt that flutter moms feel when we want to reach out and help a child in need.
Then I began questioning myself:
Maybe the child is happy in his or her environment?
Maybe the child receives the same unconditional love my children receive, just in a different setting?
Maybe the child's parents would view my daughters' bedroom as less than optimal?
Who determines what is best for a child when it comes to the child's rights?
"Where Children Sleep" is a production to bring awareness to the rights of children.
And I felt myself not only wanting to reach out to these children, but also judging:
Was the lavishness of one child's room creating a child who will not be conscious of her footprint later in life?
Why did the seven-year-old girl have to work in a quarry?
How can a child's mind and soul grow in such a barren environment?
And then I hated myself for judging. It might have been instinctual to judge because it's the Mama Bear in me, or it might have been my own upbringing, my own view on top of a pedestal that made me begin to think I knew what was best for the child.
It's easy for me to make the assumption that my daughters have one of the best chances at living a healthy, safe life by living in the U.S.
But I've always wondered since the day my first daughter was born:
What if we lived in a different country?
What if my child fell asleep at night with a different view of the moon?
It is certain I wouldn't love my child any less.
However...
How might my child's life be different?
What if a mom from the U.S. viewed my child's bedroom and judged me?
What if 'others' felt my child's rights were endangered?
James Mollison's project has made me aware of both the rights of children, but also the rights of parents. From where we stand we all may have a different opinion on a child's rights.
But perhaps we can all agree on one universal truth: A child's life is the only one the child has.
