It feels like we’ve filled up a washing machine with all things shitty in the world; thrown in equal measures of truth and opinion, and added an enormous scoop of outrage and anger. We’ve then crammed some rotten eggs in the detergent slot, locked the media into the laundry, set the machine on spin cycle and ripped its door off. This chaotic mess that we see every time we flick on the television or even scrolling through our social media leaves us nauseated and threatens to shake a core foundation that we as humans hold dear:
A simple need for safe connection with others.
This is already fragile enough with the necessary, yet hard to escape bombardment of encouragement to withdraw. Self-Isolation. Social distancing. Home-learning. For our children this language is underpinning the formation of their understanding of the world. There is an expanding void for parents and educators to fill – and we must fill it – one of empathy. Compassion. Community. Open-mindedness. Conversation. Compromise. A terrifying – but exciting challenge.
Thankfully, in these most difficult of times, the world is still full of wonder and awe. Across the world, sunrise and sunset seem more magical than ever before. And, whilst the most vile and upsetting stories dominate the headlines; the canals of Venice run clear – who would have thought it was home to living fish? Villages in India marvel upon majestic views of mountains not seen for many decades. Inspiring stories of triumph over adversity, are still available in abundance, we do need to dive through a menacing looking sludge on the surface, but making this effort – spending time being present with our children, to appreciate so much that is good, is the nourishment they must receive at the moment. Funnily enough, it’s the nourishment we too need.