That's Not Fair!

As a parent of two young children growing up under very privileged circumstances, I am always on the lookout  for ways to expand my children's perspective on the world.  I often worry that their little lives, which have been insulated from most pain and suffering, will not be able to appreciate all the good around them.  Perhaps more than any other virtues, I want them to grow up with an attitude of contentedness and a desire to make the world a more just place for all its creatures.

Last night we watched the last few minutes of Extreme Makeover - Home Edition before the kids were scooted off to bed.  Ty Pennington was revealing the amazing bedrooms, each one designed around the unique interests of each of its residents.  He then led the family outside to view their immaculately landscaped back yard, a perfect hiatus for relaxation or summer parties.  A batting cage was built for the son whose father used to coach his baseball games but who now sits permanently in a wheelchair for paraplegics.  The final revelation was the family rec room, a mini-gymnasium actually, complete with a climbing wall and small basketball court.

At this point in the show both of our children were turning green with envy and saying things like, "That's not fair!" and  "They're so lucky!!"  So as we watched the credits begin to roll, Jarred and I seized upon this opportunity to lecture gently instruct Dylan and Jaida about the nature of fairness.  We explained how this family had been through a lot with their father's accident which left him paralyzed and asked them to imagine what it would be like if their Daddy could never walk or run with them or do anything on his own ever again.   We then reminded the kids that they, too, are very lucky.   Unlike a lot of children in the world, they have a sizely, warm home with plenty to eat in the refrigerator and comfortable beds and lots of clothes and healthy parents. 

Perhaps it was the green turning paler on their cheeks, but I could see in their faces that they understood that perhaps they shouldn't wish to switch places with the kids on the TV show.  So until the next time I hear those all-to-common words "that's not fair" I am thankful for the lesson taught by Extreme Makeover - Home Edition not only to my children, but to all of us "big kids" who sometime dwell too often on how life is not fair for us.