No Crying..No Sadness..what the heck are we doing?
*Disclaimer: This does not apply to every parent, but there are enough that it is now making the news on a daily basis.
I woke up this morning to my fav radio program and the He and She of it were in a big discussion about Bambi and Walt Disney in general and the stories that make our kids cry. Like it was a bad thing.
There has been a fair bit in the news lately about what we are doing to our young; wrapping them tight in bubble wrap for protection, not letting them experience rejection, not letting them face the facts about life and death. The thought is that we are shielding our children from reality and that will mean they are unable to cope when suddenly on their own.
A local news show recently did a piece on the number of first year university students who experience depression, to the point that they cannot function. Having lived a sheltered protected life they are not prepared to leave home and manage in a world where they must stand on their own feet.
My fav blogger, The Domestic Fringe addresses this. And does it well. Bill Gates has his say also (Google Bill Gates 11 Things and other speeches.) Dean Koontz has also addressed in his books how we sanitize our children and ourselves so that when life intervenes we do not have the immunity to stand up to it and survive, stronger than before. I guess the list would be endless.
We don’t seem to want our children to be “uncomfortable”. Life is joyful. It truly is but there are tears, hardship, unfairness, and inequality. These serve to make us stronger. And often the joy comes from conquering and when we don’t conquer, we learn and grow.
Stories that make us cry, teach us. Bambi, Old Yeller, The Lion King and the circle of life. Those stories taught us love, joy, to believe, to live. One comment this morning on the radio was,”Someone always dies. What is this?” Well someone always dies be it a much loved pet or human. We learn to treasure our memories. We learn the cleansing wholesome effect of crying.
So cry world…..and experience joy!
bridgesburning 