Children can astonish and inspire us with their insight. When unspoiled by the inevitable afflictions of life, they are a reflection of the divine within all of us. It is no wonder many adults long for a smidgen of the joy, peace and freedom experienced during childhood. Some may even wish to return. Innocence shielded us from much of the darkness that magnifies with time—that which can overpower us as we grow older. Harsh experiences and hate are factors that feed the darkness. As children we were free to dream, free to create and escape into the limitlessness of our imagination. It is what saved many of us, especially when we would have begun to feel the effects of the darkness.
In this time of COVID-19, children are more likely to escape the severity of the pandemic as not only are they are less likely to be infected but they are also less likely to have to face the toll it takes on our mental health. (If they lose loved ones like parents however, they may not be spared. For mourning lends to the darkness.)
Children, however, do not have to worry about employment, bills or even the long-term effects of this pandemic. Once we protect them from the fearmongering, the statistics and projections, we can save them from making steps into the darkness. Still, many of us fear what the future holds for our children. As gloom continues to permeate the world and there are ongoing efforts to suppress the light by means such as deception that seeks to maintain control over the people, doctrines that imprison and suppress our power, conflicts that are created to discourage a unified world, we worry about the earth the children and those still to be born will inherit.
In a conversation, an older female friend recently said that if she were still of childbearing age and a time like this had occurred, she would have chosen not to have children. I agreed with her. Had this coronavirus pandemic occurred before my children were born, I would probably have also reconsidered. We came to these conclusions not because we do not love our children or regret their existence, but grappling with the realities of this time, facing the uncertainties of the future, it is agonizing enough wondering how we as adults will survive. And though the world would have faced pandemics before and people continued to be fruitful and multiplied, it is not only viruses we are dealing with during this time. Though enlightenment is taking place for many as a result of COVID-19 and many are hoping that the transformation will lead to a better world, still the darkness is overwhelming.
Rumours of wars, conspiracies about deliberate efforts to depopulate the planet, racism, poverty, crime and climate change are some of the threats to the stability of our world. Some may argue that such threats have existed for hundreds or even thousands of years, but still, the more advancements we make, the more inhumane many appear and the probability of destroying ourselves seems to increase. The hate is kept alive because the status quo indicates that all lives are not equally valued on this planet.
We continue to grapple with new diseases or the recurrence of diseases that threaten our existence every few years it seems. Whether it can be attributed to our diets, medical interventions, our medicine, pollution or harmful inventions in labs to target specific groups, we are in a constant battle to live instead of simply waiting to die.
Has there ever been a time when mankind has been plagued by so many diseases? I knew few people who would have died from cancer when I was a child, but now it seems like every other person I know who died within the last few years succumbed to the disease. It is the second leading cause of death globally. According to the World Health Organization one in six deaths globally is due to cancer. In 2018, more than 9 million people died because of the disease.
Has there ever been a time when not only viruses threaten our health, but people are battling various autoimmune diseases? Lupus and type 1 diabetes are two common examples. Many people are still living with and becoming infected with HIV. Sometimes it seems that the young are dying and suffering more than the old.
Many people struggle with mental health issues also, and some cope by abusing substances such as drugs and alcohol. We maintain an abusive culture which is often the gateway through which many children begin experiencing the darkness.
When we examine the behaviours and choices of many of the earth citizens, it is evident that many are purposely ignorant or are conditioned to be so. Some seem contented with being in that state and would never question anything regardless of how harmful or incredible it may seem. Important matters are trivialized. People are selfish, easily distracted, obsessed with instant gratification, superficial, easily misled and blindly influenced by what is popular rather than what will edify and benefit them in the long run. There is no way to shield our children indefinitely. Eventually, they, too, will become adults and will face the extensiveness of the darkness. They may have to struggle and suffer, and we can only hope that they will find the light.
I made a point this week of chatting with my daughters about their thoughts concerning the coronavirus. They are ages six and eight. I not only thought it would be interesting to hear their perspectives but I was curious to know how the changes of this season are affecting them. I asked about their knowledge of the coronavirus. They expressed that it can make one sick between one and fourteen days of exposure and can lead to death. They are, however, happy that there is treatment and said that everyone should be taking their vitamin C and maintaining hygienic practices to make sure they are healthy. But they also miss school. They miss their friends, whom they wish to see and play with again. They miss outings to the cinema and seeing relatives.
Their awareness means that they are already experiencing effects of the darkness, but at least it has not stripped away their hope. Their spirit of optimism and joy reveals that the shield continues to guard them from the immensity of the darkness.
Though it may seem despairing, we must continue to create shields throughout our lives. Though we worry about the generations to come, whatever opportunities exist to create a better world for them, we must encourage and preserve. In our little circles of awareness, we may be growing and glowing and experiencing the blissfulness of evading the darkness, but we cannot be selfish. It is our collective efforts to spread love, happiness and knowledge that will illuminate the world and hopefully save us and those to come.
