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My older kids like math, so over breakfast this morning I asked them, “How many people did it take to make you?”
My daughter says, “Um, you and mommy?”
“So that’s two. How many did it take to make me and mommy?”
My daughter says, “Um, you and mommy?”
“So that’s two. How many did it take to make me and mommy?”
My daughter holds up two fingers, son holds up four, so I tell her, “I have two parents and mommy has two parents.”
So she says, “Four”
So she says, “Four”
“And how many did it take to make them?”
They realize where I’m going with this, and yell, “EIGHT!”
“And how many...”
Both of them again, “SIXTEEN!”
They realize where I’m going with this, and yell, “EIGHT!”
“And how many...”
Both of them again, “SIXTEEN!”
“And how many to make those?”
By then, my daughter who’s just getting into multiplication couldn’t keep up, but my son who is a human calculator says, “32!”
“And to make them?”
“64!”
“Keep going.”
By then, my daughter who’s just getting into multiplication couldn’t keep up, but my son who is a human calculator says, “32!”
“And to make them?”
“64!”
“Keep going.”
“128! 256!”
My daughter starts laughing while my son keeps struggling
“Uhhhhh... 512! Uhhhhh... 1024! Uhhhhh... 2048! Uhhhhhh... 4096! Oh my gosh this is hard!”
My daughter starts laughing while my son keeps struggling
“Uhhhhh... 512! Uhhhhh... 1024! Uhhhhh... 2048! Uhhhhhh... 4096! Oh my gosh this is hard!”
“Ok I’ll get my calculator for you”
“NO NO NO I got it! 8,192!”
“Wow! Next?”
“........... 16,384!”
“Geez!”
“............ 32,768!”
“You’re amazing dude!”
“NO NO NO I got it! 8,192!”
“Wow! Next?”
“........... 16,384!”
“Geez!”
“............ 32,768!”
“You’re amazing dude!”
Time was getting short, so I pull out my phone calculator and read off to them:
65,536
131,072
262,114
524,288
1,048,576
Their mouths drop and they let out high pitched cackling with every new number
65,536
131,072
262,114
524,288
1,048,576
Their mouths drop and they let out high pitched cackling with every new number
“Ok, that’s 20 generations. If every generation is about 25 years, how many years is that?”
The human calculator gets it, “500 years!”
“So, what year is 500 years ago?
“1519! Well, almost 1520”
The human calculator gets it, “500 years!”
“So, what year is 500 years ago?
“1519! Well, almost 1520”
“Ok, so since only 1519, how many people did it take to make you?”
Both of them, “A MILLION!”
“Nope. You have to add up all those numbers.”
“AAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHH!”
Both of them, “A MILLION!”
“Nope. You have to add up all those numbers.”
“AAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHH!”
“Ok, there’s going to be some of the same great grandparents and great great grandparents, but just by the numbers, if you go back 20 generations, 500 years to 1519, it took 2,097,120 people just to make you.”
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“Do you know any of their names?”
They got sheepish, so I said, “It’s ok to say no.”
“... no.”
“Do you know what they did for a job?”
“... no.”
They got sheepish, so I said, “It’s ok to say no.”
“... no.”
“Do you know what they did for a job?”
“... no.”
“All 2 million of them had a name. They had joys, worries, struggles, sufferings, talents, accomplishments, survived wars and disease, a whole life of experiences and memories, and we don’t know what any of those were... but what’s the most important thing they ever did and why?”
So I took a picture of my daughter with my phone, turned it around and showed her
She smiled, “They made me.”
*the feels*
“That’s right. It took the entire lives of 2 million people just to make you. And that’s why we had you, to honor their lives, so everything they went through mattered, and so their lives don’t end with us.”
“Now, what if just one of your 2 million ancestors, only in the last 500 years, didn’t want to have kids, or waited so long putting other things first that they couldn’t?”
“We wouldn’t be here.”
“We wouldn’t be here.”
“That’s how important their life was, and how important your life is. And that’s how important your life is to the next generations.”
“Now, all those 2 million people had more than one kid, let’s say they all had 3 or 4, they probably had more than that. And each of their kids had 3 or 4 or more. How many millions is THAT after 20 generations?!”
My son yells, “SIX MILLION!”
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My son yells, “SIX MILLION!”
“Way more than that, math wiz.”
Daughter says, “A hundred million!”
“Probably even more. But those are your people. They’re your family. That’s what countries are, a house that protects your whole family.”
Daughter says, “A hundred million!”
“Probably even more. But those are your people. They’re your family. That’s what countries are, a house that protects your whole family.”
After this exercise, my son asked, “Why are you telling us this?”
“Because that’s what dads do. We put things in perspective, and teach you what’s important in life.”
“Because that’s what dads do. We put things in perspective, and teach you what’s important in life.”
Why am I telling all of you this?
Loving your people is loving your family. Nationality, ethnicity, race - to call someone racist or xenophobic for loving, caring about, or protecting their people is like calling someone who loves their family a “familyist”.
Loving your people is loving your family. Nationality, ethnicity, race - to call someone racist or xenophobic for loving, caring about, or protecting their people is like calling someone who loves their family a “familyist”.
Wanting our heritage, our language, our customs, our culture, our beliefs, our unique physical characteristics, our family to continue on in our little place in the world isn’t hate - it’s the greatest expression of love.
For the last few generations, we’ve been lead to believe that love of our own people is hate, and the only way to absolve ourselves of this hate is to reject the preservation of our people.
But enough of us are wise to it now. The love and unity of our family and our people is rightfully perceived as hate to those who would displace us or work to have us displaced for their own “family’s” benefit, much as a home invader should perceive my love for my family as hate.
Teach your children to love who they are and the people they came from, to draw inspiration from their people’s accomplishments, sacrifices, and traditions. There’s no need for a lecture when you can simply show them and live it yourselves.
