For every Parent and Child, I too have a dream

For every Parent and Child, I too have a dream

by | Oct 25, 2020 | Children, Inspirational, Parenting, What If series

As you can see, I’m a bit obsessed with Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech :-). This is my second post related to that theme. You can access the first one here.
In this post, I explore my hopes and dreams for the world of parenting and the, at times, ever elusive connection between parent and child.

For every Parent and Child,
I too have a dream

I dream of a world where
children are not seen as an extension of their patents, but
people of their own right. I have a dream…

… of a world where we don’t try to “control” our children, but
rather guide them with
dignity and respect. I have a dream…

… of a world where parents teach their children,
not with reward or punishment, but
with an open heart and ear. I have a dream…

… of a world where a child’s opinion matters. I have a dream…

… of a world where children teach us, grown-ups,
how to be children again.
Where it is not the “Big” or the “Old”, but
the “Wise” who guide the blind, the hurt, and the uninspired,
no matter the age. I have a dream…

… of a world where every child knows,
down deep inside,
that they are special,
that they matter, and
that they are deeply loved. I have a dream…

… of a world where Loving Kindness prevails over Justice and Rules.

… a world of rooted connectedness
to our children, and
to the wounded child within us.

IMAGINE how powerful that bond can be,
if we allowed our children to blossom into the person they already are.

For every Parent and Child,
I too have a dream.

————

Agape

Recommended resource: Between Parent and Child, excellent book by child psychologist and parent educator Dr. Haim G. Ginott

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The gifts of grief

The gifts of grief

by | Oct 24, 2020 | Inspirational, Spiritual, What If series

No life is devoid of pain and sorrow. But why? For what purpose?
So I imagined: What if Grief wrote us a letter? What would she want us to know?
Here’s what she had to say.

The gifts of grief

Many people don’t like me.
Don’t appreciate me.
They cast me aside,
Rejected.
Neglected.
Despised. 

But I ask you this:
Without me,
how would you recognise
Joy? Without me,
how would you feel
Regret? Without me,
how would you show
Forgiveness? Unearth Patience?
Cultivate Hope? Without me,
how would you know
Love?

I know my load can feel heavy and difficult to bear.
I wish it didn’t have to be that way… Yet
Pain is, and always has been, the
precursor of change and growth.

You may not always see it that way, but
you need me.

 You need me to cleanse you from your pain.

You need me to clear that fog, that
opaque armour on your soul.

You need me, so you can see more clearly,
Re-arrange that house of cards you’ve built so neatly,
Tear down that fence you’ve put up
around your heart. 

You need me.

So, next time I visit please don’t shun me away. Instead…

… Embrace me! 

Allow me to flow through you,
Imbue you with my wisdom and care. 

For when you do.
When you accept my gifts of love,
diving into the depths of Your Soul,
Your Humanity. Your Vulnerability.
Your Unadulterated Beauty,

You Will Shine!

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What if Martin Luther King had yet another dream?

What if Martin Luther King had yet another dream?

by | Oct 15, 2020 | Inspirational, Spiritual, What If series

Martin Luther King’s speech “I Have a Dream” was one I wished I had written. Full of heart. Full of power. Full of passion. Full of naked truths. And so I wondered, what would Martin say about today’s state of affairs? And what about the internet?   

I decided to take a blogging class: “Blogging and writing for online audiences“, taught by Louise “Daisy” Johnson. 

“Yet another class?”, my husband asked. “‘Cause you don’t have enough work on your plate?”. I had to chuckle, ‘cause I knew he was right. But you see, I’ve been in a rut with my writing for some time now and I needed something to help re-ignite my inspiration to get back on that writing wagon. And what better way to do that than to take an online writing class?!   

Our “warm-up” prompt read as follows: “This week is all about warming up and settling in, and so I’d like us to flex our creative writing skills with the following exercise. Start by thinking of a figure from history that you identify with. Somebody who you think you could have a coffee with and talk about the world. That sort of a person. Now, I’d like you to think about what they’d think of the internet. Would they like it? What website would they go to? How would they use it..? Please post your responses in the forum…”   

Wow, that’s just the warm-up? This is gonna be a great class!   

I spent a few days musing over whom I would pick, and what my personal thoughts about the internet were. 

My first idea was to pick Jesus of Nazareth. What would the Son of God say about the Internet? But the task of writing on Jesus’ behalf felt daunting. How could I possibly ever do Him justice? 

I needed another inspirational historical figure… That’s when it hit me! 

Martin Luther King Jr.  

Martin Luther King jr I have a Dream
The passions of Martin Luther King Jr.
Image by skeeze from Pixabay

Martin’s speech “I Have A Dream” was one I wished I had written. Full of heart. Full of power. Full of passion. Full of naked truths. And so I wondered, what would Martin say about today’s state of affairs? And what about the internet? 

So I opened my Scrivener and started writing.

Sitting on the floor, late at night, in my daughter’s bedroom, the words just flowed. I could hear Martin’s resounding and vibrant voice in my head delivering the following speech: 

 

I have a dream 

… that all of our children, mine and yours, will not be judged by their perfect looks or the number of their followers, hearts or likes, but, as I dreamt it 57 years ago, “by the content of their character”.   

In 1963, I, Martin Luther King Jr., had a dream. 

And today, my beloved brothers and sisters, I have yet another dream.

I have a dream that the so called internet, that invisible intricate web, connecting millions and billions of people together, be used for the advancement of mankind, for the good of all peoples, not for evil. I have a dream … 

… that we stop using this web to weave hatred and victimhood, but to show forgiveness and unconditional love instead. I have a dream …   

… that our conversations become more meaningful, diving into the depth of the human soul, even if these get longer than a 280 character tweet or a 60 second video. I have a dream … 

… that we start looking up towards the Heavens and in each others’ eyes, instead of constantly down on our screens. I have a dream …   

… that we take a hard look into the naked realities of our broken bleeding world, instead of losing ourselves into the so called “virtual realities” of this web… No matter how colourful, captivating or painfree these may seem, don’t you be fooled! You may think these only distract us for a time from our pains, but I tell you they numb our soul to the suffering that’s all around us and that’s ever so real. Not only that, they also numb our soul to the many beauties of our world and which we may only discover through pain. I have a dream …    

… that we reconnect ourselves with Mother Earth and its many gifts of nature, its peaceful quiet, away from the incessant sensational news streams, feeds and greed. I have a dream …  

… that all of our children, mine and yours, will not be judged by their perfect looks or the number of their followers, hearts or likes, but, as I dreamt it 57 years ago, “by the content of their character”. I have a dream …  

… to weave amongst ourselves a second web, much mightier, deeper and wiser between the brothers and sisters of this planet… namely the web of the Holy Spirit that resides in each one of us.  

I have a dream, just like I did back in 1963. And I invite you today, to lock arms with me and make it our new reality. 

Martin Luther King Jr drawing speaking to crowd
Martin Luther King Jr.: I have a dream!
Image by Jae Rue from Pixabay


I learned so much on this incredible blogging class, which I can wholeheartedly recommend. But most importantly, I’ll be forever eternally grateful to our amazing tutor, Louise “Daisy” Johnson who picked the most provoking writing prompts, helped me get out of my writing rut, and inspired the creation of this blog. Thank you Daisy!

Recommended resources:

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