Fellow Earthlings

More often than not I hear people whine about youth.  How they aren't learning all the things they should be, how they are all narcissistic, how they aren't as talented as children in past eras.
It is disappointing to hear these things.

As a parent raising a child in this world, I am less impressed with the world than I am with my daughter who knows nothing, apparently.

When I look at my daughter, I see intellect among beauty. I see kindness, gentleness, and grace.  I see a teenager who doesn't understand why her Facebook is filled with people with loud opinions and hurtful tongues.  I see a child who questions faith and spirituality to the nth degree.  I see a child who has been exposed to the truths of love and life - too young.  I see a girl who says she wants to make an impression and leave her mark doing something meaningful.

Then I see the world.  I see desolation and greed. I see an unending hate that is feeding off of despair and fear and creating even more hate.

And yet, I am trying to raise a child in this world.  A world full of hate.  A world where people who can't even "love thy neighbor" can certainly judge an entire generation of children.

Do you know how hard it is to raise a kind and gentle daughter with the abhorrence that is spewed with every passing moment by nearly everyone we meet?  Do you know how hard it is to raise beauty in a world where her fellow citizens are constantly ugly?  I have been that person, too. I have detested others for their ignorance, but I have also learned.  I have grown past throwing my disgust around with no solution.

My solution is simple: I will live my life for my family with all the love in my heart I always have. I wont live in fear. I won't lessen these standards because the world has changed; I have changed with it after all.  I will live in peace, as hard as that is, and live this life how it should be lived.  I will absorb the bad days and relish in the good days.  I will stand strong against adversity and I will  be resilient against my trepidation. I will understand that some people are born with repulsion coursing through their veins, while others are born with humanity and benevolence.

When my daughter decides that she will take these values with her to college, or to trade school, or to her future family, then I will have succeeded in raising her.

Sure, she will know Common Core math, she will not know how to write in cursive, and she will most likely have her face stuck to her phone screen ninety percent of the time, but she will have value and worth. She will be a contributing member to society.  As far as I am concerned, she already is - and a lot more than some people I know. 

If I raised her to care about her fellow Earthlings, then I'd say its a job well done.
This world is tough. This world is full of complications. This world is a mess.  But it is our world and we have to always care about it.