"Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you.
And although they are with you yet they belong not to you."
Kahlil Gibran
I went to a beautiful garden today. It was joyful and full of hope. That's because it was a pinwheel garden. Pinwheels are the new national symbol of child abuse prevention, and many cities all over the country are planting pinwheel gardens for the month of April. These pinwheels were planted by children, with some assistance from others. The blue ribbon is a symbol for everyone to care about the needs of children. In my state of Virginia, forty four children died last year from injuries involving abuse or neglect from people they knew and trusted. Forty of them were under four. If we think a child is being neglected or abused, we should not be silent. We need to call the local social services department. The parent guidance hotline is 800-CHILDREN. For the children.
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. " Mark 10:14
35 comments:
Pinwheels really do speak of children.. I loved them and this of course is so sad!! I just saw the stats on abortion too..guess it speaks volumes on value? Anyway, a perfect quote and verse Ginny-
Thank you for sharing this important reminder Ginny.
This is so beautiful and done for such a noble cause, we should all be alert, aware and never let anyone get away with any wrongs....The quote truly gives out a message in the most wonderful way!
Have a great day Ginny :)
What a wonderful way to bring attention to this cause. You are so right Ginny, we should never be silent if we suspect a child is being hurt or neglected.
Apparently you are a fan of Gibran Kahlil Gibran. My husband and I have never let the violence against children in our neighborhood. We do not intend to interfere with the neighbors, but if it came to physical violence against their children, we can not remain silent.
I learnt as a child to make the 4 blade pinwheels. These are incredible.
In New Zealand, there is a certain group who abuse children more than others.
Thank you, Ginny. I didn't know this information. I think the pinwheel is a wonderful symbol for children.
It is so sad to think of all the children who are neglected and abused, especially by the hands of those who are supposed to protect them.
Your pictures are beautiful, as always. :)
I didn't realize this about pinwheels. My first job out of college was doing investigations for CPS in Houston. It was such a sad job.
What a clever idea making the pinwheel a symbol. Except for your blog I can't remember when I last saw one but I remember them from my childhood.
your blog shouts joy and lets your light shine today. love the header and background combo. what a wonderful garden. no better thing to represent children than a pinwheel. great post ginny and thanks for reminding us
What a poignant reminder ... thank you for this.
Good reminder, Ginny.. love this post.. the blue signifies love..
How awesome! Children are our future and I long for the days of a 'Village' helping to raise them.. :-) Love this post, Ginny!
Have a Beautiful Day!
Hugs,
Coreen xoxo
Beautiful! Thank you for sharing!
How wonderful! I did not know that the pinwheel is the new National symbol for this cause. Good choice I would say. Beautiful quote Ginny.
We should each be troubled by the fact that there is so much child abuse in our country. These children need our help and definitely need our prayers....
Have a good day Ginny...
Hi Ginny, Beautiful post with a great message today. Love your header and background.
I love pinwheels --and what a wonderful cause. We do need to take care of the children. Child abuse is rampant.
Thanks for such a great post.
Hugs,
Betsy
Loving pinwheels as I do, I think this is a perfect symbol for the right of children to live life without fear.
A beautiful garden, indeed.
I think this is a wonderful idea, although this is the first that I've heard of it. The Pinwheel Garden is beautiful.
Thanks for calling attention to this problem which is often swept under the rug.
It seems that most days, the Chicago Tribune carries at least one story of child abuse. So very sad that precious children are victims. What a lovely way to recognize the problem.
Best,
Bonnie
That is beautiful Ginny...and a lovely display of compassion of others. 44 is too many; one is too many! I love the quote and the verse you've inserted.
In my days of teaching I've had to report one too many....heart breaking!
Hi Ginny, Nice post with a wonderful message. Have an excellent day today!
What a lovely idea. Bittersweet. My heart breaks for all those children. Blessings, Joanne
Great post Ginny, I didn't realize pinwheels were being used in this way.My husband and I were foster parents for many years. I love the quote you used from Gibran.
(forgive me, this is my answer to your question)
Hi Ginny, I became a winner in Jogja Fashion Week in October 2010. I am a winner because in making the clothes I only use fabric that are woven manually by the women in the countryside. I also use a batik cloth made by my mother in law. But after the victory was a decline in bookings. My customers think I'm going to raise prices. Though not at all. The condition of our society is very difficult. People would rather prioritize the problem of food rather than clothes. If in the capital city (Jakarta), the crisis is not so perceived. But the economy is very sluggish in the regions. Moreover, our city just hit by volcanic eruption a few months ago. Still need time and the struggle for the next few months. Hoping all the best for you and family.
This is beautiful, Ginny. What a wonderful thing! And let us remember too, that child abuse can come in many forms. Emotional child abuse and Parental alienation is an abuse that is not seen, but lives on in children following them into their adult lives. They are never the same.
I love pinwheels almost as much as I love ....oh I can't tell you what they are yet ....those things on my post today. So pretty. The blue is incredible.
Oh my goodness Ginny - why didn't I know about this - pinwheels are the national symbol? I had NO idea what so ever. And that garden full of them was so beautiful. I learn something new every single day of my life!
Thank you so much for sharing this - it is a cause near and dear to my heart!
sandie
What a wonderful garden indeed... I always loved pinwheels!!!
A beautiful garden not only for the color but for what it stands for. I hadn't heard about the pinwheels.
This garden is pretty,but what it stands for or against is so ugly.The children are innocent and should not be abused,EVER.
Beautiful post, Ginny.I'm so glad that more effort is bring made world wide t end child abuse. So much still needs to be done.
What a wonderful post. That is such a great idea for those children. It is so sad when families bring the precious ones into the world and mistreat them. So sad.
wow...this is so beautiful....pinwheels do speak of children :-) I would love to share some awards with u...plz visit my space n accept it :-)
Loved this post and the happy photo blues, but blogger wouldn't let me in to comment yesterday! And your blog only! Still haven't figured it out but Sandra has given me an idea to track down.
Ginny, I did not know this, I love the pinwheels and now it will have a symbol with it! How anyone can hurt a child is far beyond my reach.
xxoo
Deborah
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