"Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children." — Kahlil Gibran
Bowing before children — interesting words. Watching the world change is exciting, not the loss of life and the threats of war, the hunger in some places and the affluence in others. Watching our children is exciting, especially the ones that hold fast to their place in the world, voice their concerns and challenge us to think about what we have done to their world. What a shameful legacy it is in many ways.
"I believe that children are our future," words written by Linda Creed and Michael Masser, sung to us by Whitney Houston, say it so well. "Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside. Give them a sense of pride to make it easier, let the children's laughter, remind us of how it used to be."
Whether it is about education, health, climate change, land rights, language or beliefs — our children are wanting to lead us. They are articulate, passionate, talented and strong. If you know some who are not, then it is our fault. Us, the communities that are needed to raise them, and do all we can to protect them.
In a changing world, if we embrace, love and nurture our children, they will become our strength. Most children simply want us to be proud of them. My Angels suggest some things to consider. I wish I had done more of these when it was my time to be a parent. They say that by letting children express themselves, will find they more and more want to share with us. That children who feel safe, will let down their defences and build trust. Let children work things out for themselves and trying new skills helps them to make wise choices. If we leave the door open, children will walk through when they are ready and surprise us. Times are different and our thinking would benefit from being different too. Children are our future if we let them lead us.
