LONG BUT READ IT ALL PLEASE!

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LONG BUT READ IT ALL! I asked Brian if I could post it on the Internet and he said yes! This was in a letter I received----I almost stopped reading it until a line caught my eye and I am glad I read it all the way through--you will find the line highlighted further down--I was slow on the pickup!! LET PARENTS BE PARENTS . . . I moved to Coral Ridge Isles from Philly about a year ago. After losing my husband, I retired from my position as an elementary principal at a much younger age than ever expected so I could fully focus on my three young kids and begin the journey of restarting our lives. After exploring several options, including Atlanta, Savannah, and DC, God called upon us to move to Fort Lauderdale without any family support or network of friends. My oldest son informed me shortly after the death of my husband that God was going to meet me at the gates of Heaven when I die, but will not allow me to pass through them. My initial thought was I know that I can be tough, even relentless when it comes to advocating for others, but I always try to align my actions with God's word so I found myself speechless, which doesn't often happen LOL. As my brain tried to quickly process my son's unexpected revelation, he elaborated, "I think God is going to meet you at the gates, give you a big hug, and thank you for fighting against bigots and discrimination . . ." He continued, "I also think God is going to tell you that he needs you back here on Earth as an Angel to continue fighting bigots . . ." Looking back, my son gave me the strangest, yet most powerful compliment I've ever received. We just finished renovating our home. The kids are about to wrap up their first year of school here. And, most importantly, I've discovered a groove as a single father and have started to build a community of support in our new home state of Florida. With that said, I woke up this morning, reflecting on all the recent legislation passed by our governor and found myself considering another move. But my kids are happy here and, as the governor recently commented, "Let kids be kids." I couldn't agree more. However, I think his underlining message reflects an assumption that he has the wisdom to know what's best for all children without any real understanding of the uniqueness of each individual family and without any real understanding of experiences that challenge his conservative bubble. I never thought I would use this slogan, but it seems appropriate in this context, let's "Make America Great Again" while also respecting parents, guardians, and caregivers to not only know and understand their own children, but to also make decisions that reflect their family's values. I would never want to push my values onto another family and simply want the same respect in return. If I'm going to continue to have my son look up to me as an advocate for others, moving from our new home is not a legitimate path forward. I have a BA in elementary education and psychology, a MS in Educational Administration, a Superintendent's Letter of Eligibility, and about half of a PHD program completed although I withdrew after my husband passed. I share my credentials to offer support for any state legislator of any political affiliation who understands that policy should be more about respect and learning, any nonprofit that lobbies against the governor's uninformed and presumptuous policies that identify him as the Supreme Parent of all Florida's children. I am not running away, never have and never will. I want to get involved and be more active in making the World (not just Florida) a better place. Again, life is not about understanding everyone's journey. I am a white, gay father of 3 beautiful kids who were adopted through the foster system. I will never understand what it feels like to be black, but I can't deny that I too have benefited from white privilege whether I wanted too or not. I have never wanted to be a woman or considered dressing in drag. And I have no idea what it feels like to be non-binary as these experiences were simply not part of God's plan for me. However, as a child of God myself, I am called upon to respect all human beings without judgement, teach my children to do the same, and stand strong together. If anyone has any serious connections to a legislator or non-profit that could benefit from my skills and/or experiences on a voluntary basis, please send me a message. I look forward to making our new home here in Coral Ridge Isles, a better place for my children to learn and grow ??