Families, Like Earthen-Filled Dams, are Vulnerable to the Waves of the World that Seek to Destroy Peace

The earthen-filled dam is a cost effective method of preserving spring runoff for use during the hot summer days. Without it there would be no crops in the deserts of the earth. Relatively inexpensive to build when compared to the over-engineered concrete structures that hold back massive river flows, these irrigation reservoirs dot the countryside of the farming communities of the world. Early spring rains sustain the young crops naturally, but just as the peak demand for moisture is reached the rain stops abruptly.  Within days the crop is lost to the dry hot sun if not irrigated.

A Monument of Courage and Resilience in the Midst of Catastrophe

There, alongside a heavily traveled trail in the woods stands a mighty pine, distinctive from all around it. It represents a unique life lived in spite of similar circumstances to its sister pines.  By trunk width, it is one of the largest around, a testament to its ability to survive and endure nature’s challenges.  Shorter than many of its peers, it has compensated by the breadth of its canopy.  Upon closer glance it is discovered that five distinct trunks have formed about 10 feet above the ground, protruding horizontally at first, and then abruptly, all advance vertically.  Enormous masses initially entangled in confusion, these trunks unite to eventually stretch skyward.  Deep within the center of the entanglement stands what is left of the original trunk, that is now withered, gray, cracked, and dead.

Birth: From a Life of Peace and Predictability to a Life of Challenge and Change

There is a debate about when life begins.  I believe that at some point in the womb, the growing fetus becomes conscious of its surroundings: the warmth, the safety, the peace, the predictability.  At the moment of birth, however, the infant enters an environment that is hostile; it is cold, loud, intense, and bright.  The excruciating journey from the security of the mother’s womb is full of struggle and pain.  Arriving naked and confused, this new setting is harsh and demanding in comparison.  The pain of birth instantly creates dissonance between one’s current environment and past peace.  The arrival begins with the need for food and reassuring touch.  Pain leads to tears, and crying leads to relief.  To exist, strong instinctive survival behaviors take over to ensure safety and security.  Initial peace at this level is equated to the attainment of food and touch, as well as the avoidance of pain.  It is soon learned that tears and noise influence the surroundings.  Control of the hostile environment has begun. 

The Challenge of Life

Born self-centered and self-absorbed, we all react either consciously or unconsciously, to the need for survival and the desire for personal gratification.  From our first breathe of life, impulses surface as environmental situations are presented to us that challenge our very existence.  Resilience to such challenges is the key.  This primal level of survival concerns itself with self preservation and stimulation. Left completely unchecked, most of us will become self-serving, gluttonous, and lazy. 

Courage to Change

Never in the history of the world has there been a greater time for people to embrace a life of virtue. A life based upon time-proven values can be easily overshadowed by the clamor and turbulence of schedules and deadlines, of economic worries and stress, and of environmental and equality issues.  Virtue-based training must be re-established within our hearts so that we are able to positively influence the rising generation, the children of the Millennial Generation, a generation who will lead us to greater peace. Peace begins one individual, one family, one community, and one nation at a time. We must commit to change;  change that will enable us to see ourselves as we really are, to love ourselves as we really are, to cherish our fellow travelers for who they truly are, and to embrace the peaceful life we deserve. 

Meaning in Family Can Change a Life

Each of us, regardless of our current age, is a child.  We have mothers and fathers, individuals who parent us.  Some parents are biological while others are not.  As a young child, we learn much from these individuals who work to create a family for us.  Despite our physical growth, intellectual advancement, and emotional maturity, the title of child remains ours by the reality that our birth resulted in the formation of a family. 

Change a Life - Teach Resilience

As a father of a large family, I know the value of teaching children to be resilient.  Resilience is the ability to cope with stress and adversity.  Resilient individuals learn the process of ‘bouncing back’ after stressful situations or of ‘steeling oneself’ against difficult circumstances.  This process is most effectively learned through the intervention and support of family and community.