Tuesday, February 8, 2011

And A Little Child Shall Lead Them...


Since I heard this story earlier today, I've teared up a bit every time I think about it.

The LA Gay & Lesbian Center found quite a surprise in their mailbox recently. While an envelope containing a check for $70 with two accompanying letters isn't that rare of an occurrence, what the letters contained was a shock.

One letter was from a seven-year-old boy named Malcolm. It read:"I am sending you this money because I don’t think it’s fair that Gay people are not treated equally."

A letter from Malcolm's mother also accompanied the check. She explained: "To teach the importance of improving the world around him, Malcolm was given $140 to give away to the charity of his choice. After hearing a story on the radio about the mistreatment of gays and lesbians, Malcolm became both upset and curious about the issue. To help, he chose to split his money between the LA Gay & Lesbian Center and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation."

In a world that seems to be so often characterized by parents teaching their children to hate those who are different, Malcolm's generosity and empathy gives me a little more hope for the future of our world.

In mailing his check and letter, Malcolm's mother said he wondered whether anyone would even notice his contribution. She challenged the LA Gay & Lesbian Center to raise $27,000 in Malcolm's name. (You can do so by visiting the Center's web site.)

I hope Malcolm grows up knowing what an amazingly incredible little boy he is, and is surrounded by the love, friendship and happiness someone with such a huge heart at such a young age truly deserves.

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