Dear Child: You Are Loved

Early on in my teaching career as an urban educator, I realized that many of my students struggled academically and socially due to a lack in confidence & awareness of who they truly were. Because of this lack of awareness, I wrote a class pledge that each of my students would say at the beginning of each class. It goes as follows:
 
I am smart.
I am beautiful.
Today I will be my best and work my hardest.
I love myself, will respect others and work towards my goal. 
 
This mantra became a stepping stone for my students as well as the foundation of this book. 
 
Identity, naturally and spiritually is the theme that I wanted to embed within this story. In the natural, I wanted to point to the importance of families setting the tone and modeling positivity for their children as well as an awareness of family unity and our connection to our ancestors. In the spiritual, I wanted to plant in young hearts that are true identity is and will always be found in Christ.