
Wherever you stand on countless moral and ethical issues right now, there's no denying that we're living through a challenging time.
Is it the first of these? Certainly not.
Will it be the last? Unlikely.
Whenever the world gets heavy like it is now, and some would argue it always is, it can be helpful and healing to go little.
Think small.
Think close.
Keep your eyes open to that which is happening right around you.
I'm a mother, raising a 4 year old girl. She often asks me to play pretend with her -- to don a sparkly cape and act like we're having a tea party with varying combinations of stuffed animal and doll friends.
When the world gets heavy, I think of her tiny hands pouring imaginary tea into the little cups set around a table for each of her dear ones.
When I feel as though I can't look away from the latest flurry of bad news, I force myself to do just that. I make myself put my phone or computer away and watch as my daughter practices twirling in her purple princess dress.
When I find time to get down on the floor and build magna-tile castles or a new marble run route, I'm reminded that I have one responsibility above all others. I want to care for and help my neighbors. I want to heal the world around me. But none of that can happen if I can't occasionally stop and notice the beauty right here in my own home. If I can't think small and take time to focus on my little girl's world, then I have no business worrying about what's outside my door.
I'd never suggest we ignore the larger problems. I'd never ask you to shut down your empathy. No, each of these things matters greatly. But if you're raising the next generation or if you've already done so, you must take time to lean into the impact you can have when you focus on the little things and the absolute responsibility you have to continue to build a world where they are able to find joy.
Photo by Suzy Hazelwood: https://www.pexels.com/photo/conceptual-photo-of-word-play-spelled-by-wooden-blocks-1275235/
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