Reflections on MLK Day as a Dad in a Transracial Family

I have waited most of the day to try to put this to words because I wasn't sure I wanted to at first.  But it just kept nagging me and so I'm here at my keyboard to type.

This is the current make-up of our family:  The Queen and I are caucasian, as are our two biological boys, the Bear and the Ninja.  Then comes Peanut, the adopted princess from China.  And we currently have Squirmy, an energetic little African-American boy who is our foster child.

MLK Day means something different to me this year.

I have sat down at restaurants with my family and no one has asked us why we aren't sitting in the Non-Whites section of the restaurant.  Italian restaurants.  Mexican restaurants.  Home-cooking restaurants.  Not one has tried to move us because of our family's transracial mix.

I have gone to the mall and been welcomed into every store with all of my kids in tow.  No one has said that I can't shop there or jacked up the price because of the skin color of the ankle-biters around me.

I have been in and around law enforcement officers and no one has threatened me or called me names because of the children around me.

I haven't lost a job because of them either.

We've garnered a few stares - but they are few.  And I dare even to believe that some were stares of admiration or pity instead of judgment and racism.

So yes.  MLK Day means something different to me this year.

But that's just me thinking thoughts...