Children are our future! They always have been and always will be. The world in which we now live as adults was handed down to us by the adults who loved us, taught us, nurtured us, worked with us and gave to us. In many respects the type of world in which we live was scripted by the influence of the adults in our lives at that time. I’m not exactly sure at what point children take over and begin “running the world” they are given but it happens. It is the Law of Life. Children are reared by adults to take their place of leadership only to repeat the cycle. And yet, there is a problem in this formula. The problem lies in the varied ways in which adults at any point, interact with children.
You see, we often write about the words I used earlier. When we do write, we tend to color those words – “loved, taught, nurtured, worked with, gave” – in overly positive terms. You see, reality tells us that not all definitions of those words are positive. Many times love is defined within the context of hate, violence and intimidation. When that happens, the definitions and therefore the expressions of love are tainted and toxic. Often, teaching takes place within a context of bigotry and negative bias. When that happens, children learn to exclude and denigrate when they become adults. You get the picture . . . When we deposit negativity, hatred, bigotry, arrogance, violence and disrespect into the the lives of our children those seeds produce crops consistent with the sowing.
Now to be fair, there are many, many adults who positively influence children and when those children become adults, they perpetuate those positive lessons in all they do. That is good.
The Lakota, in their Code of Ethics, state it this way: “Children are the seeds of our future. Plant love in their hearts and water them with wisdom and life’s lessons. When they are grown, give them space to grow.”
From the Lakota point of view, children are vitally important to the future of all mankind and the ways in which we invest in them today will find expression in the future when they take over.
I have read, as you likely have, that “Children live what they learn.” If what they learn is negative and hurtful, that is what they live and perpetuate. If what they learn is positive and helpful, THAT is what they live and perpetuate.
I have also read, “The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice.” The funny thing about our inner voice is that it tends to guide our thoughts, beliefs, feelings and actions. When that inner voice is destructive, we perpetuate toxicity. When that voice is nurturing, we perpetuate health and growth.
We all have children in our lives who are in need of love, wisdom and life lessons. We all have “inner children” living inside of us who are also in need of love, wisdom and life lessons. Perhaps as we work to positively influence the children in our lives, we could also work to repair the child inside. We all need space to grow in Grace!
Peace!
Mark E. Hundley
