Yesterday was Father’s Day. A very beautiful one at that and we spent it together at the Del Mar Fair. 
And, me, the girls and uncle Eddie spent it with the most thoughtful and caring husband and father anyone could ask for, Ken Simeon.
Having such a great hubby and wonderful father to my girls got me thinking though. One day [far from now, really, really far from now], my beautiful little girls are going to be dating, falling in love, falling out of love and hopefully, through it all, finding the man of their dreams. And then I thought, who will he be? Will he be Black? Hispanic? White? Asian? Mixed? But then I thought…does it matter? Does it matter if he’s blue, for cryin’ out loud? My answer never changed.
What I desire for my girls is simple. I want for them, all that I have in their father and my husband. A warm, sincere, supportive, caring and special man. Someone who compliments their person and loves them fully. Someone who will be a Daddy and not just a father. Someone who will respect them as strong women, but love them as delicate flowers. Someone who is also strong himself, but not so much so that he refuses to play Barbies with his daughters or teach his son that a man is still a man, even if he shows his feelings. I want for them, exactly what I have and nothing less.
I’m very thankful my parents were understanding during my dating years. I was allowed to make choices based on attraction, compatibility and behavior. I never thought about skin color and was never forced to. My brothers were allowed the same and we’ve all definitely spread the ethnic spectrum in dating and even marrying. My husband’s family was much the same, which makes us a very unique unity.
It is our duty, as parents, to continue to spread the acceptance and the love that our families have graced us with. To show our daughters that they have choices, not based on color, but on quality and compatibility. To have self respect and to demand that same respect from their significant other, regardless of his or her color.
All I ever desire for my children; whether in love, life or career, is choice. I want them to be who they want, love whomever they wish and live a life that makes them happy in their heart and soul. I simply want for them to have the same happiness that Ken and I have. And that, well, that is good enough for me.
April
/ June 23, 2009Pretty nice post. I just came by your site and wanted to say
that I have really enjoyed reading your posts. In any case
I’ll be subscribing to your blog and I hope you write again soon!
deborah
/ June 24, 2009Your awareness for your kids is great to read about. They will soon be in the majority…and here’s more about multiracial America http://muttslikeme.wordpress.com
Kathycoulnj
/ June 24, 2009Hey, I was reading a CNN article that referenced your site. I am also the mom of a “mixt” kid – he’s mostly German and Irish and Burkinabe (West African). In fact, right now he is at French camp! Anyway, I’m looking forward to reading your posts in the future and I plan to write something about it on my blog.
By the way, I have thought about his dating future and like you I’m up for anything. We have a pretty diverse family – Puerto Rican, Mexican, newly immigrated Italian – so by the time he starts dating I doubt there will be so much as an eyebrow raised!
Cynthia
/ June 24, 2009I am a mom in a mixtrace family. We recently adopted a beautiful African American daughter from the foster system. She has AMAZING hair! I love fixing it. However, she has been so tainted by the “good hair” culture that she is forever begging for it to be straightened. I am looking for pictures of African American children’s hairstyles. I can find plenty of caucasian & adult looks, however I can’t find much for beautiful little girls. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks for such a great blog! I love what you have to say.
sdmom22
/ June 24, 2009Hi Cynthia. Congrats on your newest addition! Regarding hairstyles for kids, I’m planning on adding a portfolio to mixtkids soon. In the meantime, maybe you can use my forum to start a discussion on this sort of thing. http://www.mixtkids.com/community/
linda
/ June 24, 2009This comment is for Cynthia. I raise my biracial grand kids each has different texture of hair which is no problem for me because I am african american and they are also Asian so they have a lot of hair. Being black I understand how to do my granddaughters. You did not indicate where you are living if you are anywhere near a black community I suggest you find a black stylist and learn about black hair and let her teach you how to do it. You will be much happier than trying to replicate a picture. If she wants her hair straight and it has a little curl to it try using a tourmaline flat iron. It will cost you anywhere from 50.00 up but it will give the versatility for the child to either where her hair straight or curly.
Lori Jerkins
/ June 25, 2009My kids are grown and range in age from 32 to 39. I have 5 kids 4 of which are mixt. Reading about the whole hair issue made me smile because my 3 boys had the most beautiful, huge curly afros and now those same boys who had all that gorgeous hair have taken after me (I’m white with very thin, stringy hair). They all decided their hair was way too thin on top and shaved it all off. My youngest daughter has long, beautiful, healthy hair she can do anything with. My kids have very mixt families too. My oldest girl who is white married a man who is Hispanic, one son married a black woman, one son has a white girlfriend, one son is married to a Hispanic woman and one daughter married an Italian. Wonderful diverse family.