What a beautiful good news week. Our amazing supporter and all round lovely person, Constance Hall, has delivered the world a beautiful baby boy. Constance and Denim named him Raja. A perfect name for a perfect little human being. His wonderful name means King in Hindi. We are a family of Kings and Queens and of course the fact that we are planning the opening of our own Kings Castle, with funds raised by Constance and her Queens really made me consider deeply about where we are born and to who.
I started thinking about how similar and how different our Kings and Constance’s very own baby King might be. The story of this beautiful wanted small treasure of love, born to two people so connecting and cherishing his very existence. Born to a family who have eagerly awaited the birth of their baby brother. A little man who radiates ‘I am loved’ in his very early photos.
His Mama and Papa will bring him up to be whatever he needs to be. He will be loved and cherished to love and cherish others. Whatever his path in life he will have the most beautiful and non-judgemental parents alongside him. He will be the baby, the boy, the man he needs to be. His Mama will keep him safe and show him the importance of love and acceptance. His Papa will hold the hand of his mama and show him the joy in loving a strong, independent woman. He won’t fear the community of men or women. He will accept and love. He will know nothing more.
Then I thought of our very own Kings and their early lives and the impact that has on them today. Born into poverty and often intense violence; habitually unaccepted by their communities for many reasons; maybe their Mama wasn’t married or young, or both. Maybe their families were disrespected in their communities; maybe they were known to drink or take drugs; The ‘sins’ of their family embedded in their baby souls. The unacceptance too much for the brave Mamas that did the very best they could, but life was too tough for them.
I don’t believe there is a woman born who plans to be a bad mum; a mum who cannot prioritise her baby helpless King or Queen. In another lifetime; in another world maybe, these would be the earth Mamas that grow strong, kind, beautiful sons and daughters. Maybe they would be their own Constance Hall.
Our own Kings didn’t have the world excited about their coming, but Kings they are. They have the ability to be just like baby Raja but have some catching up to do. They are fighting their histories and having to face a culture where their own story brings them shame and fear.
Baby Raja comes with a background of love in abundance.
Are our boys allowed to be the men they want to be? Probably not. They are born – and our girls too – into a culture where to be different is punished. To be gay a crime. To walk outside the lines; to think outside the box, punishable. And yet we have boys and girls who will be strong enough to show the world who they are. We need to make sure the world is ready to hear from them. We need to build a world where sensitive, compassionate boys are nurtured to be sensitive compassionate partners. Without that cycles of abuse continue.
There is not one thing we would change about baby Raja – he is perfect just the way he is. We are excited that he has joined our family of Kings and Queens.
Photo by Trina Cary Photography
