I hadn't planned to write about this and I have no intention of writing about groups of people and whether they're right or wrong for their pain, rage, beliefs, etc. I only want to write about the pain I see within the community of bloggers, mothers, and friends.
I recently read
a blog post about another pagan mother grieving for the state of the world we live in. I spoke to a friend who is distraught by the actions of local shooters even as she feels she understands their anger. My sister is told by the company she works for to leave the city she lives in for a weekend out of fear of acts of violence. A friend of the family leaves his country to visit us the day an attacker kills 75 of his fellow citizens - men, women, and children.
There is so much pain and hate and anger that it is easy to focus on this. I understand when I hear people say there is no hope. It seems that the majority of the US believe that either there is only war and violence to come therefore we should prep for an apocalyptic outbreak or that they only resolution is for a Christian God to act physically upon us by destroying the evil and taking up those who are good. If you are one of these people, part of me envies you. It would be so simple and so easy to believe this way - so easy for this to be the truth. Its harder to live in a world that needs people to save it because in order for people to act they must first change - change within is the hardest thing a person can do, in my opinion.
We live in a noisy world. We hear the static of news, social media, radio, phone calls and text messages. I sit now with my napping son and am aware of every door shutting and dirt bike whirring outside and wondering if the cacophony of life will wake him after he has fight a nap all morning. Our world is so noisy that there are times when the only way I can hear the voice of the divine is when I go into the shower and stand, or sit or kneel and pray under the white noise of the water beating down on me and the walls. Then, in the heat and spray and fog I am transported to Fensalir, the hall of my Lady, and she tells me she understands the despair of the wives and mothers of this world. She says that I can make a difference. I can take care of myself and my son and my husband with a loving heart, discernment, and nourishment. I can encourage other women to do the same and by nourishing ourselves, our families, and our communities, we can change things for the better.
We mothers have to make very hard decisions regarding the safety and well-being of our children. We study the facts and make hard choices about vaccines, medications, what food to grow or buy, whether to fight against a loved one feeding our little one jello or simply to let it go because harsh actions and words can sometimes do worse than red dye 40. We feel fear and guilt daily but try our very best to act out of love.
Protecting my son is one of the hardest things I can ever imagine doing.
Recently, in all the noise and pain over shootings and danger in public places and large cities, I heard a situation close to home and unreported in the news. A small group of young boys were caught engaged in sexual exploration together. The parents were shocked and worried and angry. I could not help but to think that while curiosity is expected and, yes these children should have been better attended to, how can we be surprised when we look at media today that these same kids are exposed to.
Television shows that are supposedly made for children and rated as such are filled with sex and violence all with the sugar coating of bright colors, animation, and sound stage laughter. The new movie Pets is one such movie that I feel is a very good example of my meaning. I have not seen this movie but I have seen the ads that are all over tv from Disney to Hallmark to Lifetime.
On the ads songs like Guess My Name by the Rolling Stones which is about Lucifer and the violence that he is attributed with and the song Bounce by System of a Down which is a song about an orgy. Songs about satan and orgies on a kids movie? I'm not even a Christian and I'm appalled by the choices the people who made this movie have made by using the first song and I believe any mother would question the reason for the second song.
Another movie ad that I was shocked by was the Chipmunk Roadtrip movie. I'm personally annoyed with the new Chipmunks in general but I try not to let my artistic preferences be a huge factor for whether a movie or show should be seen by children. I was shocked by the inclusion of the chipmunks singing "I like big butts" because what child should be singing that or understanding words in the song like "get sprung."
It is this same when it comes to the over-sexualization of breastfeeding and cosleeping in society. This is just my opinion but I feel this sexualization of all things is grown from the sexual stimulation of the pre-pubescent mind. But I digress and don't claim to know enough psychology for that conversation.
With this going on, how can we be surprised when children follow up on the curiosities and ideas given to them by media? Is it right? No. But how can we stop it?
I say we stop the sexualization and violent influence by being proactive about protecting our children and also by looking through the lense of mothers when making judgments about other people. When looking at a homeless man on the street, look at him and consider that this man was once someone's baby. When we think about shootings and terrorism whether home grown or abroad, consider that all of these people involved were once children who have somehow been led down the wrong path and made horrible choices that brought them to this moment in time.
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| TheMagicOnions.com |
I chose my faith and make my decisions with the idea of loving and protecting my child. I particularly am fond of the Waldorf philosophy of educating and raising children in that they believe a child is still being born into their etheric body until the changing of the teeth (around age 7) and to let them be innocent children till then. As they begin the changing of the teeth, their etheric body is born (this is the body that many people refer to when discussing chakras and auras) and the astral body is developing to be born when the child reaches puberty (generally between ages 12 and 14).
We see today that children are growing up faster and faster because of mental and physical changes pressed upon them from media causing the introduction of concepts way beyond their years to the foods they are given causing hormonal changes. If we can protect our children from these changes, allow them to remain children until they are ready to be otherwise, perhaps we can stop the terror and pain the world is in right now.
I look for ways to ensure my son remains a child. I consider the amount of television he is exposed to - including news programs watched by family members. He is a baby, and surely doesn't understand what is being said around him, but
the energy of it does effect him much as my own breathing and emotions effected him when he was in my womb. I consider his foods and avoid certain fish and chicken that has been modified with hormones and soy so that his little body isn't effected by chemicals that can induce puberty early on. I look carefully into the ingredients of soaps and cleansers used on and around him. I encourage toys that do not act upon him but rather require him to be the one to initiate play. I sing songs and read stories that encourage morals and ethics and hope. Is this enough? I can't say for sure. I can only say that I am trying really damn hard.
I know many may think I am naive. Some might say this is too simple or too passive.
I say this is much harder than hating and fearing and prepping and lashing out.
This requires not only fighting against the mainstream but also requires faith in goodness when there is so little goodness to be seen according to media and people that you and I are talking to. It requires focus on small things to avoid being overwhelmed by big things. Its looking at and admiring the leaf and petals of a flower or the beginning stages of a round little pumpkin while knowing that children are starving and women are being abused and men are being killed because of their beliefs everywhere. Its looking at the wide eyes and smile of my son as he learns to crawl and realizing I am learning to walk in this world as well because I too need to learn balance.
I hope that I am not on my path alone. I hope that there is a tribe out there for me and my family. I hope that peace will come to my mind and heart and to the world. I hope that one day I will not feel this gut wrenching fear that I have when I think about my son growing up and going into the world. I hope and I pray.
