kids in this world

I’ve heard many people say, “How could I bring kids into this world?” Meaning, I assume, that the chaos and evil and complexity of the world would be too much - too much for them as a parent to handle, too much to ask their kids to grow up to handle as well. 

That may very well be true for some!

But I will say, for myself, that it is my children that give grounding to the chaos of the world. It is they who bring me back to what is right here, right now, what is beautiful and good. It is they who cause me to stop and see the light in the tiniest of things. It is they who give me hope. 

Yes, I am weighed heavily by the events of the world, especially now. But still, I’m grateful that in between my times of worrying and conversing and learning about all the difficult things happening far and near, I took a toddler outside and lost track of time watching him just pulling weeds and taking them excitedly to the curb so his friend the garbage truck can pick them up. All joy. 

And I know that someday, he too will be faced with the mounting pressures and issues of his day. 

I can only hope that he also is surrounded by people who will ground him as well. Likely, those who ground him most will have tiny hands and feet. They will remind him, as he reminds me, of all the reasons we have to laugh, to enjoy, to hope.