Averting Destruction

I think it is terrible what we consciously and even subconsciously do to children. Children are born with innocence, pure hearts and minds. By our choice of words and actions, we shape their little minds into replicas of our own. They have no defense against us. They know nothing more. An adult filled with anger will instill this same anger into his child though the child has no understanding of its origins. An adult filled with prejudice will color this child's world in ways unnatural to it. Everything we do, the people we are, transfers to our children and to other people's children as they observe us. It is how they learn in the beginning. By the time they are capable of their own interactions on a peer level, we've determined for them what they will display to the world and if what we see bothers us we must confront the reflection of ourselves.

We can avert the damage done to the innocent by controlling our own thoughts and feelings. Regardless of what one person may have done to you, you can prevent yourself from passing on your ill will to them. Regardless of what you are taught to believe growing up, you can change the pattern of your thoughts before passing them on. Certainly, it is your right to your feelings, beliefs, and prejudices........but shouldn't that child have the right to create her or his own instead of taking on yours? The possibility remains that without your passing them on, they may never have reason to create their own. Perhaps it will be their generation which will begin the healing process which humanity needs.

Somewhere the pattern must change. It can start with us.