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“Daddy, they wouldn’t even let me tryout.”
Edgar lowers his head in sadness at his daughter’s words. Memories of his own run-ins with similar disappointments came to his mind.
“Oh honey.”
Max looks up to her dad with tears threatening to spill over.
“Daddy, why is the world so mean? Why do white folks hate us? What are they afraid of?”
Edgar pulled Max into a hug that enveloped her whole being. It was almost as if he wanted the hug to protect her from all the pain in the world.
As she pulled away, Edgar ruffled her hair before answering, hoping to get her to smile, even a little.
“Honey, those are not questions I can’t really answer. There are people and systems that would rather bully, control, and hurt others instead of doing the work of getting to know others and building a better world. It’s fear, ignorance, and greed. And yet knowing all of that doesn’t do a thing to make it better.”
“No it doesn’t. It hurts.”
“Yes it does. Don’t let anyone try to tell you it shouldn’t. It hurts. It sucks. And it’s not right. But guess what?”
“What Daddy?”
Max looked into her father’s eyes with genuine curiosity, hoping all of the world’s problems could be solved with his next words.
“Holding on to our joy, love, and each other is how we make it through. This world will do a great deal to try to break us. Especially special people like you who have a gift and a mind of your own.”
Max smiled a half-smile at her father’s recognition of her talent and strength.
“But the key is to feel the pain, acknowledge the wrong, but don’t let it break you. They are wrong baby. You deserve to be happy, to make your dreams come true, to walk into any room that you see fit. You are deserving of the world and more. Don’t let the racism of this world make you think otherwise. Understand?”
Max hugged her dad’s neck.
“Yes Daddy. I understand.”
Edgar hugged Max a little tighter, smiling into her hair.
“Thank you Daddy. I love you.”
“I love you too baby.”
While Edgar was glad to help Max through this moment, an unsettling feeling persisted in his stomach. What he’d told her was true, but he also knew there were things he couldn’t change, couldn’t protect her from.
Seeing the smile that had formed on her face, he decided to settle into the peace of this moment. Unfortunately he didn’t know how long that peace would last.