There is the lyric in the song Right Hand Man from the musical Hamilton in which Christopher Jackson who plays George Washington says, “Can I be real a second?
For just a millisecond? Let down my guard and tell the people how I feel a second?” Today I want to get real as the young people say. I want to ask this question. What do we say to our children about all that is going on in the world today? Why did that man shoot all those people in Maine? What is happening in the Middle East? Why are people sleeping on the streets? Why are so many young people dying from drug overdoses? These and many other questions are on the minds of our children, and they look to us as parents, teachers, family members, and leaders for the answers.
I wish I had the answer to these difficult questions. I search within myself to understand why bad things happen to good people. You would think that almost 60 years on this Earth would bring wisdom. Well in some ways it does but to explain what we have experienced since March of 2020 can be challenging. Our children are struggling since the pandemic and lockdowns. In their eyes they see a world that is falling apart. How do we give them hope when we have lost some ourselves. How do you tell your child to look to the future when they are bombarded with the tragedies of the world every day on social media and television. As someone said to me recently, “Why should I try? The world is coming to an end soon.” (A teenager actually said that to me.) I had no answer; at that moment I was silent and in shock.
If I had to live that moment again, I am not sure what I would say. Sometimes just listening is enough. As a father I feel like I have to have all the answers to the questions my children ask. I want to wrap my arms around them and protect them from the ills of the world. I know that is not possible. Just like my mother did for me, we must equip our children with the tools to survive and hope for the best. Amid all this tragedy I work hard to give my children hope. I work hard to listen, support, and understand their struggles. I except the fact that to the above questions I do not have the answers. All I can do is be there for them through the highs and lows of life. All I can do is give them hope that there is light in the darkness.
“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”
Desmond Tutu
Charles Redd RN
Dignity Freedom Fighter
Dignity Freedom Fighter 