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~ Rejecting the gods of our culture since 1998.

cultural atheist

Tag Archives: Children

An Unfortunate Metaphor

25 Wednesday Jan 2017

Posted by braddahr in Observations

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Children

You may not be aware of this but in this world there is a spirit of murder towards children. I believe that Count Olaf (A Series of Unfortunate Events) is a metaphor for that spirit. And just like the adults of this world are largely clueless to the spirit of murder, so to the adults around Count Olaf are clueless to his machinations.

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Get It For Me

08 Tuesday Nov 2016

Posted by braddahr in Observations, Spirituality

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belonging, Children, God, Love, trust

I delight in my grandsons. If my children read this, I delight in you too and would even more so if you paid your rent, but I digress…

My oldest grandson likes trains and he’s at the stage where just asks for stuff outright: “Tomorrow, we can go to the store and you can get it for me.”

Now we could talk about his manners and teaching him about appropriate ways to ask for things. But that’s a story for another time.

I have to confess that I like his bold demands. Why does he ask the way he does? Probably because he has me wrapped around his finger but there’s a deeper reason. I think it’s because he is so comfortable in my love and care for him he doesn’t have to do the fluffy stuff – he just asks for what he wants and trusts in me to provide.

I wonder if we could develop that same trust in God who invites us to talk with him, knowing we are his beloved children.

Gross Kids

24 Friday Jun 2016

Posted by braddahr in Observations

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Children, gross, Love, self-care

The other day, I was in the company of a teacher friend. Something happened and I got to thinking about all those kids she works with. I asked her, “Do you ever tell any of your kids that they’re gross?”

She was surprised that I would suggest such a thing. “Of course not, I would never say that to a child.”

Why not? Aren’t kids just a little gross? Runny noses and/or fingers in them. Poor bladder and bowel control. A general lack of hygiene. If you want a contagious disease like a cold, flu, or strep just hang around with children. Don’t forget parasites. Just thinking about kids with lice gives me the heeby-jeebies. On top of all that, they’re not very bright and they quickly go savage under the wrong conditions. It’s no wonder that a common horror movie trope is evil children; they freak us out.

In spite of all that, a good teacher would never call her children gross or any other terrible names. In fact, have you ever noticed when we witness someone putting a child down we are physically uncomfortable and that distress might linger for a long time. That’s our own past shaming experiences bubbling to the surface and gripping our hearts all over again. That’s why so often when we see or hear someone being bullied we freeze up even though we want to intervene to try to save the child from pain we can so easily relate to.

So she said, “Of course not, I would never say that to a child.”

What about kid so and so who has issues? What about the one whose clothes seem two sizes to small? What about the kid with the mental challenges or the deformity?

“Absolutely not! I would never call any child gross or any other name. It’s offensive that you would even ask that question.”

But you see, just a moment before I asked my question, she had glanced at herself in a mirror and I heard her tell herself something. I looked her the eyes with all the care and compassion I could and I asked…

“Then why do you say it to yourself?”

 

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