Children can keep King's dream alive.

Byline: BIRTH TO THREE By Mona Ivey-Soto For The Register-Guard

`I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.'

- Martin Luther King Jr.

The New Year provides us with a fresh beginning, a chance to look at our life and those around us. For many of us, it's a time to evaluate our relationships with others and begin anew at embracing the life lessons of love and acceptance. This month also brings about a time of remembrance and celebration of the life and legacy of a great leader and human being, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

This influential leader fought so that all individuals could experience equality. His dream that one day all people would be able to see and understand each other based on who they are and not on how they look is still a struggle within families, communities and nations.

How do we as citizens of this world look to the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and create meaning and purpose for our children?

Growing up in a family of many races, I learned from an early age to appreciate and love all shades in the color spectrum. My mother always told us that we were the color of love, and I often hear my young adopted siblings share the same sentiment among their own friends and neighbors.

In my work with parents, I have often heard, `I want my child to be colorblind, to see all individuals as the same.'

While this desire comes from a well-intentioned place, I wish to offer a slightly different idea. Colorblind means not seeing color, not recognizing differences in shades, hues or looks. By doing so, we are looking past a part of who we are and the unique heritage that we carry.

We want our children to learn to recognize and celebrate their classmates and neighbors who may look different from them. When our children ask us about families who speak another language or who celebrate a different holiday from us, we should make our children feel comfortable talking about differences.

Often parents are faced with questions about different races, cultures or groups. What a great opportunity to have a `teachable moment' with your child and discover the answer together. This will show your child how interested you are in learning more about all kinds of people.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stressed the notion of seeing and judging individuals based on who they are inside. This simple yet profound statement is such a great place to start and end. We want our children to understand and appreciate the differences that they see on the outside, but we also want them to look deeper - to examine the hearts and spirits of those around them and let this be their guide when building relationships.

So as we forge ahead to new relationships in our homes, communities and the world around us, may we appreciate the bodies that we are clothed in, but more importantly, may we seek to understand the souls and spirits underneath.

Mona Ivey-Soto is a social worker, educator and advocate with expertise in early childhood mental health. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in early intervention at the University of Oregon.