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There is a ton of uncertainty with tragic circumstances that rage throughout the world. There is the horrible Middle East conflict in the war between Israel and Hamas where thousands of innocent people have been and are being killed every day. There is famine in Sudan. There is instability in Syria because of the thousands killed and many more displaced as a result of civil war. There are regimes that perpetrate oppression and domination over disempowered people all around the world.
Then there are growing tensions that exist in our own country that create political division and disunity. Family betrayal and break up render children displaced and highly stressed with chronic anxiety.
How do you tell innocent children about tragic events?
How do you tell children the truth and make it bearable?
A story was told of an author of children’s books who stood in front of an audience of elementary children and shared the sad story of her father abandoning her when she was at a very young age. She said that she suffered other chronic physical illnesses and was heartbroken because her father had left. To her, at that time, life seemed overwhelming and impossible to go on. Yet, she did.
After her address, during the exchange of questions and answers, one of the children stood and said, “You were a lot stronger than you thought.”
As the children were dismissed and were filing out of the auditorium, the author was in line saying her farewells when a young boy said to her, “I am living here with my mother, and my father is in California. I did not know how I was going to make it until I heard your story. And now you are OK. Maybe I will be OK. Maybe I am stronger than I thought.”
Children learn truth by you facing your truth when things are bad. They know that things will be OK when you walk alongside them while they experience suffering. They can face truth. When you are vulnerable, cry with them and simply present in the existence of uncertainty.
You are more strong than you think. So are children. Strength comes from being seen and heard. When space is made to be noticed and validated then truth can be noticed and validated and not sugar-coated.
Walking alongside each other is the way to find a shortcut to the heart. It opens the awareness that everything around you is sentient. There is energy to be accessed from this reality. Thus, you are stronger than you thought!
It requires vulnerability to walk alongside another. At the end of life’s journey, there are important things to share with those you walked with.
One is, “Thank You” for the energy, example of life, love, truth, conviction, and beliefs modeled.
Two, ”I Love You.”
Three, “I forgive You.”
and Four, “Will you forgive me?”
Sometimes the journey in relationship life seems so difficult. Yet when you become capacious, creating space for you and others when you open your heart with vulnerability. You don’t have all the answers. You don’t even know all the questions. Yet, in that space you know deep within your heart you are now stronger than you think.
