Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

  • Home
  • About
  • Books
    • Peace in the Process
    • Bringing Home More Than Groceries
  • Contact

Thoughts on living a privileged life

October 2, 2018 by Kristin Leave a Comment

I’ve realized I certainly live a privileged life.

But, after reading “White Picket Fences: Turning Toward Love in a World Divided by Privilege” by Amy Julia Becker, I understand privilege differently. That’s what sharing stories does for people. In this book, Amy Julia shares her story and challenges us to think about our own.

I especially loved chapter nine when Amy Julia redefines privilege. Then in chapter ten reading about Penny’s down syndrome diagnosis and her understanding of it reminded me of my own three kids and how their adoption stories will influence their identity.

“Privilege means being given a special status – legal or social – by virtue of something you didn’t earn. Privilege means being undeservedly yet unquestionably singled out. The way we typically assign privilege – based on race or gender or religion or economic status – distorts our humanity. It cuts us off from one another. But in those times of hardship, I experienced a different kind of privilege, a kind of unearned beauty and promise and grace that did not emerge from anything having to do with wealth, education or ethnicity. …. It was the privilege of being singled out for something purposeful, being the undeserving recipient of the gift of human connection.”

– Amy Julia Becker in “White Picket Fences”

My own perception of privilege has been shaped by adoption – my relationships with my kids’ birth moms; interaction with a social worker that didn’t believe we should be open to children of any race because we live in a small, predominantly white town; our ability to provide more than everything our kids need; and the community of adoptive and foster moms around me. But how I view the perks and hardships of privilege has also been influenced by my upbringing by two educators, being the oldest of three kids, and marrying into another family of entrepreneurs who came to know their own privilege.

“White Picket Fences” would make a great book study because there are so many discussion points. I’ve actually already recommended it a few times to real-life friends because certain passages reminded me of them or I recognized the importance of this message.

“The privilege of whiteness and wealth can become a wall against the privilege of being human, loved not for status or performance but simply loved, and able to give love in return not because of obligation but in grateful response to an invitation. I have been given much that I do not deserve, and my very real social privilege has cut me off from others as much as it has also made my life comfortable. But social privilege is not the end of my story. The real privilege of my life has come in learning what it means to love others, that love involves suffering and sacrifice and sleepless nights and tears and heartache and great gifts. It makes sense to talk about privilege in terms of access to private clubs and schools and bank loans and preferential treatment by authorities. It makes sense to expose the injustices of privilege and call for them to be rectified. But there is also the privilege of cleaning the wounds of people you love, of participating in healing and new life, of becoming vulnerable and needy and receiving love and care. There is another type of privilege, privilege that connects instead of divides, that shimmers through the air like a line of light, available if only we stop counting the coins and look up.”

– Amy Julia Becker in “White Picket Fences”

About the book

“White Picket Fences” is a gentle invitation into the challenging topic of privilege. The notion that some might have it better than others, for no good reason, offends our sensibilities. Yet, until we talk about privilege, we’ll never fully understand it or find our way forward.

Amy Julia Becker welcomes us into her life, from the charm of her privileged southern childhood to her adult experience in the northeast, and the denials she has faced as the mother of a child with special needs. She shows how a life behind a white picket fence can restrict even as it protects, and how it can prevent us from loving our neighbors well.

“White Picket Fences” invites us to respond to privilege with generosity, humility, and hope. It opens us to questions we are afraid to ask, so that we can walk further from fear and closer to love, in all its fragile and mysterious possibilities.

This 240-page paperback book is published by NavPress (Oct. 2, 2018).

About the author

Amy Julia Becker is also the author of “Small Talk: Learning From My Children About What Matters Most” (my review), “A Good and Perfect Gift: Faith, Expectations and a Little Girl Named Penny,” and “Penelope Ayers: A Memoir.” A graduate of Princeton University and Princeton Theological Seminary, her essays about faith, family, and disability have appeared in the Washington Post, USA Today, Christianity Today, the Christian Century, and online for The New York Times, ABCNews, the Atlantic, Vox, and The Huffington Post. She lives with her husband Peter and three children, Penny, William, and Marilee in western Connecticut.

Keep up with Amy Julia at her website.

*****

I received an Advance Reader Copy of “White Picket Fences” as a member of the launch team, but I’ve been discussing this book with other early readers and truly am encouraged and challenged by the message.

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: books Tagged With: faith, life, quotes, review

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Let’s Connect

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

About Me

Telling stories is my therapy and I love sharing them with friends on my porch.

The main characters in my stories are my entrepreneur husband, our high school girl who never forgets, our middle school boy who has no fear, and our joy-filled first-grade girl. As we live out our stories, we seek God as the author of them all.

Learn more about my story here.

Subscribe for Updates

Recent Posts

  • All the places she’ll go
  • Cruising for Spring Break
  • How to take care of yourself
  • How to recreate favorite foods
  • How to enjoy motherhood

Join the Conversation

Join the Conversation

On Instagram

Hello, #84daysofsummer! ☀️ #TeamTaylor #girl Hello, #84daysofsummer! ☀️ 

#TeamTaylor #girlmom #boymom #momlife #reallife #summerisbest #siblinglove #countryliving #poolpeople #getoutside
First of all, who else has read this book? The plo First of all, who else has read this book? The plot was promising as a thriller and the setting really worked. There were some good twists, and then there were ridiculous twists. I skimmed the end only because I wanted it to make sense. And it didn’t. It was too weird for me. 

But this made me wonder: how do we know if a book is going to be weird, contain elements we don’t like, or go places that don’t make sense? I don’t like to read much about a book before I read the book. Usually, I do a better job of picking books for myself. 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #donotrecommend #bookofthemonth @bookofthemonth
I needed this low-key weekend that was pleasant we I needed this low-key weekend that was pleasant weather, a mixture of productivity and rest, and had plenty of wide-open space to enjoy our property and each other. 

#weekending #TeamTaylor #poolpeople #countryliving #favoritethings #choosingJOY #maydays
And that’s a wrap on soccer season! I love watch And that’s a wrap on soccer season! I love watching them both play. 

#soccermom #weekending #springtime #momlife #girlmom #boymom
On Mothers Day, I wanted to sit by the pool with a On Mothers Day, I wanted to sit by the pool with a book, but I didn’t know what I wanted to read. Whenever I have indecision about books, picking up a thriller usually helps because of the story’s pace. 

“The Only Survivors” worked well because there was a lot happening! Lots of creepy, mysterious moments. Only so many people could be guilty of infiltrating a small group who had lots of secrets! 

I loved the timeline of this one. The back story about an accident was told in seven one-hour segments. The present mystery was told in seven days. 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #latergram #bookofthemonth @bookofthemonth #poolpeople #mothersday
Y’all we are very ready for summer. ☀️ And Y’all we are very ready for summer. ☀️ 

And when I say summer, I mean we are ready to shake up the routine, mentally regroup, turn off the alarms, establish some new habits, soak in the sun, and catch up with friends we’ve been crossing paths with too quickly. 

I want to savor the #84daysofsummer and I want to embrace this new season. And it’s almost time. Three more days of school. (Deep breaths.) 

Meanwhile, I’m going to keep collecting the moments — the hard, hurried, happy, and heartfelt. The seasons do change, but this is the life we are living. 

“The moments you collect may not be loud or flashy. They might be quiet or covered or a far-off view you were lucky to catch. But this I know to be true: A moment savored says to your soul, ‘You have lived something beautiful.’ And it keeps you buoyed. It sustains you when you’re running empty. It lifts you up and carries you forward.” — Joanna Gaines in @magnolia summer 2023 journal issue no. 27 

#momlife #reallife #momconfessions #livingfaithfully #summerisbest #teenagedriver #choosingJOY
I’ve read quite a few World War II novels, but t I’ve read quite a few World War II novels, but this one by Soraya M. Lane focused on three nurses, their friendships, and how the war changed their lives. It’s a hard story, but it’s full of love and hope despite the destruction around them. 

And it’s the second historical fiction audiobook I’ve listened to in a row! #KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #audiobooks #Audible #KindleUnlimited #historicalfiction
I became a mom because three other women sacrifice I became a mom because three other women sacrificed, chose life, and chose me to. Motherhood is sanctifying, unexpected, adventurous, and constant. It’s also among the greatest joys in my life. 

A low-key Mother’s Day that included church and felt like summer was exactly what my soul needed. Don’t worry, my eldest was around too but she had to work on homework and then at her job. 

#mothersday #adoption #momlife #adoptionislove #PeaceInTheProcess #reallife #weekending #poolpeople #summerisbest #favoritethings #choosingJOY #boymom #girlmom #bettertogether
This second novel by @carleyfortune speaks right t This second novel by @carleyfortune speaks right to my summer-loving heart. I loved Will and Fern’s love story, appreciated the depths of some of their experiences, and enjoyed the happy ending. Put this one one your summer reading list! 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #newrelease #KindleOasis #kindlebooks #romancenovels #latergram #summerisbest
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Favorites

Categories

Archives

Copyright © 2023 Kristin Hill Taylor | Design by Traci Michele | Development by MRM