No one said parenthood would be easy. I knew that. I worried about the world they would be inheriting. My biggest fear about their future in the greater world was climate change. I was thinking like 30-50 years in the future. It never crossed my mind to worry in the same way about the world they lived in right now.
Linus' favorite radio station in NPR. I'm careful to monitor how much he hears. I really don't talk politics much with the kids. I more focused on
helping them develop good morals, values, and critical thinking skills. However, listening to NPR often leads to good discussions in the car.
The other day Linus and Eileen were both asking about Donald Trump and why people don't like him. This led to a discussion on racism and the holocaust. We've discussed racism before. The kids are constantly flabbergasted by the idea that people would treat you badly because of the color of your skin or your religion. The kids have several prominent people in their lives who happen to be Jewish. They can't fathom the government hurting them simply for being Jewish.
As we discussed how racism and fear causes people to behave, the kids started to worry about what would happen if Donald Trump was elected. Would Marla, their 8th grade babysitter, be taken away? Would we move? Not easy questions. I don't want my kids to take on the worries of the world.
I took a moment and reflected on the people living in Europe during World War II. I've often wondered what I would do if I had been in their position. There were no easy choices. Now that I have kids, I might be tempted to let someone else do the hard work so I could protect my family. This led me to reflect on what it means to be a Christian. Jesus would have embraced the immigrants, the poor, the mentally ill, the sex trafficked. He definitely would not have supported the idea of the "Christian" candidate, Ted Cruz, to carpet bomb. Being Christian meant being willing to be jailed or killed in order to stay true to their beliefs.
I don't want my legacy to be that in the face of horrific wrongs, I chose the easy route. So my answer to Linus was this, "I don't think we would move. This is our home. I would hope that I could be brave. I would hope that I would be willing to save those in need even if it meant risking my own safety."
Believe it or not, this satisfied the kids. Linus is old enough to understand the vitriol that Trump spews. I don't want my kids to be scared. Although is might sometimes feel like it, the world isn't ending no matter who is elected. Adults are scared and angry, feeding the rise of candidates who promote racism, violence, and misogyny. I'm trying to view the current political climate as an opportunity to plant the seeds of empathy.
I frequently come back to the wise words of Ghandi, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
No comments:
Post a Comment