Day: October 14, 2013

We take so much for granted.

Here in the West too many of young girls pay more attention to their:  hair, make-up, clothes, shoes, boys, shopping, how many pictures of themselves posing in front of a mirror in sexy outfits making duck lips they can post online, and other such frivolities than education.

They don’t know or understand that girls from other countries are dying for the education too many Western girls ignore in favor of more trivial pursuits. They don’t get that girls around the world want to be educated, free, not sold into slavery of one kind or another.

This book, I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai makes your heart-break and sing all at once.

Her story is well-known. A young Pakistani girl whose amazing father instilled the love of learning into his beautiful daughter. He could have seen her as a bartering chip toward a good arranged marriage; instead, he cultivated her mind and knew she could be anything she wished. He gave her choice. The first hero of the story. Malala spoke up for Pakistani girls to have an education.

Knowledge is the key to happiness. She knew this and wanted to help others.However, in speaking out she attracted the attention of the Taliban who believe the same things she does, knowledge is power. So they tried to silence her, with a bullet. Malala and two other girls were shot on their school bus.  All survived.

History repeated itself, in trying to silence her voice they made it louder. And stronger. And heard by so many more.

Malala has since toured the world with her message of hope and learning. She’s only 16, but she’s co-authored a book, continued her activism, won awards, and has the ear of world leaders. She has triumphed in the face of adversity and has fought back to spread her message of hope and education far and wide.

I hope Moms and Dads will read this book with their daughters and sons. Instead of yet another trip to the mall, new cell phone, tickets to see Justin Bieber, or more clothes, read it with your children and talk about what it means and what they can be. I get saying Malala is a role model, not Miley Cyrus.

Having a uterus shouldn’t decide what a woman will be. We need more people to help this world, repair the problems, to make it better, not just more people. Everyone should have choices.

Enjoy this book. It is a beacon of light in an often foggy world.