Hello 2017?
Since it’s just the start of 2017, I feel like I should be writing something about the end of 2016 and the start of a new and fresh year. I feel as though I should be reminiscing over the good (Baby MPB) and the bad (the general state of the world) and looking forward to 2017 with hope and optimism.
But I just don’t have it in me right now.
It’s not that I cannot gush over Baby MPB and how amazing his addition to our family has been. I could talk about him all day long.
And it’s not that I don’t have some hope for 2017 (and beyond). I have hope. I have to hope that the world can and will get better. Because if I’m honest, what’s the point if there isn’t hope?
But, honestly, the state of our world kind of scares me right now, and in so many ways I don’t even want to discuss it. Heck, I don’t even know where to start on the list of things that I see as rather bad in our world (Trump, Brexit, wars, murders, etc.). I find on many days I am no longer reading the breaking news headlines because I cannot continually expose myself to such hatred and cruelty. Right now, I just seem to remind myself that at least Baby MPB is currently sheltered from it as we live in a relatively safe part of the world and he doesn’t understand news nor is he even exposed to it. And even though I can shelter him from it today, the fact is that he wont be sheltered for ever. And, even worse in my mind is the fact that so much of our world right now is not the world I want for Baby MPB to grow up in – I see a world that has a lot of people just scrapping by, not being tolerate of one and other and doing anything to get to the top of the ladder. I see a lot of people acting out of hurt and fear. And, I guess, it just doesn’t seem like a lot of people are living with hope for the future. This, just breaks my heart.
But, I see it as my job to help give Baby MPB the world I want him to grow up in – a world of tolerance, compassion, understanding, love and peace. Now, I’m not suggesting I can change the world or that I have the solution to create world peace, but I am suggesting I have a role to play in creating the world I want my son to grow up in.
So, I guess, even though I had no intentions about writing a New Years resolution or writing some sort of hopeful 2017 will be better kind of thing, I do have to look forward with hope and keep trying to make a positive contribution to the world. So, while I don’t see changing much in the way of my daily life, I do have to do my part to enable hope and share compassion and love. So, I will continue to live my life centered around love. I will continue to advocate for tolerance and be an active supporter of anyone who is marginalized in our society. And so through 2017 (and every year thereafter) I will continue to show my son these attributes on a daily basis so that he will learn them and hopefully be enabled to live his life also to hopefully create a more tolerant and loving world.
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Amen to this!! I’ve never been a fan of the news, because it’s always been so depressing…now it’s even worse. But being that we live less than an hour from our nation’s capitol, there’s really no way that I can avoid knowing about at least a majority of the politics that happen daily. This country, and so much throughout the world, are a complete disgrace right now. I do fear what this world will be like for my daughter in the coming years, but I’m also hoping that by the time she’s old enough to realize what is going on that the world will WAKE UP and have done something to correct so many things that are wrong right now. In the mean time, I can only do what you are doing: raise her with hope and love and compassion and empathy, and help to mold her into a good person. Here’s to hoping…we’ve got our work cut out for us.
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I actively seek out good news as well because it is out there! In among the bad news that makes headlines and sells papers there are many people doing good things, kind, caring and compassionate things. I read that to remind myself that whilst the bad is pretty bad, there is also good that is worth it.
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I’ve been actively avoiding the news. I feel like I have enough reality in my daily life without adding the big picture right now. It’s not that I don’t care about the world–it’s that I care so much that it really drags me down to see what we’re doing to ourselves.
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I think the best thing we can do for our childrens future is exactly what you are doing. Helping to raise individuals who treat others with kindness, caring, and compassion. At the risk of sounding like a crappy whitney houston song, our children are the future. We cannot predict what is to come for them, but we can do our best to empower them. To ensure that there are indeed good people willing to do good things after we are gone. They very well be or cause the change this world needs.
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Ahhhh And I think Canadians are some of the most tolerant, so it’s interesting to hear how you feel, but you are probably talking more about other countries? Or does it feel like things in Canada are changing too?
I spend some of my time in my job looking at the world in in 20/30 years out, and really it’s mostly depressing what the academics ‘predict’! Except for technology, it’s pretty exciting there in the future with lots to look forward to for our children in that area. But technology won’t solve religious tensions or teach our society to care for one another 😦
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Happy New Year!!
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The smallest ripple can change the world. I have a coffee cup that says, “change your thinking, change the world”. Hopefully for the better. I think we can all play a part in that in our own ways, even if we don’t necessarily feel like we are making an impact. We never know who or hope and kindness might help and what then they may go on to do to change things for the better. Much love to you, my friend!
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