Faith in What?

     I tell my children often that they should be grateful for what they have.  I point out that children will die in the world today from disease because there are no hospitals.  That some will die from starvation because there is no food.  I had a lengthy discussion with my 11 year old, who was having a selfish moment on mothers day, about how some mothers in America spent mother’s day having just learned that their sons had just died in Iraq.  It seems a bit harsh, but I think it’s important that they keep perspective.  In today’s society, we really have forgotten how to raise our children.  We spoil them, we pamper them.  We take from them the necessity of accepting responsibility.  We blame their problems on society, their environment, on our own inadequacies.  We medicate them, send them to therapy.  But I’m not going to talk about them…. simply going to point out a discrepancy in myself.

     All of the things I tell them are true.  And I try to live by those same tenants.  I own my house… a beautiful 2 story middle class dream smack dab in the middle of suburbia.  It isn’t anything spectacular, but it’s comfortable.  I have 3 beautiful, healthy children.  We have food in our cupboards, lights, and cable television.  We occasionally eat out.  We rent movies.  We have a PlayStation 3.   On the surface, it would appear that we have quite a bit to be grateful for, and we do.  But beneath our shroud of middle class domesticity,  the weather isn’t nearly so pleasant.  I’m out of work, and we’re struggling to keep our home.  If I can’t find work soon, we may lose it.  I drive a car that’s older than my children because our mini van was repossessed.   On top of everything else, I’m struggling with a medical condition that at best entails ulcers in my intestines and at worst might throw cancer into the equation.

     So what does that mean?  Perspective really does change things.  It’s hard to practice what I preach to my children sometimes.  I strive to…. when I start to agonize over the problems in my life, I tell myself the same things I tell my kids.  I try to put myself in the shoes of those who have it worse than I.  I lean on my past struggles, on my family, on my faith in god.  But unfortunately, we as a species are self centered and selfish by nature.  We instinctively look after ourselves and our own first.  True altruism is a rare find in our world.  Sure, people help each other.  But the true test of our humanity, the time when we find out who we are and what we’re made of, is when we struggle.  It’s  easy to help others when you have a healthy life.  Not that long ago, I had a good job, enough money.  With excess, even.  I thought in terms of 401k and college funds for the kids.  And I did help others, as much as I could.  But it’s been awhile.  Money has gotten so tight that I simply don’t have enough for us, much less enough to share.

     But this is where I think it’s most important to do just that.  These are the times when we realize just what it is to be human.  It isn’t our ability to wage war as so many seem to believe… although we certainly have all but perfected that.  It’s the ability to come together.  To rise up, overcome.  To maintain that which is good in us through the worst times.  Maybe that’s a bit of an over optimistic view;  It may even forray into the land of the cheesy.  But I’m going to keep my optimism.  I’m going to keep my belief and my faith.  The pessimists of the world can have their cynicism.  I”m going to just continue to believe that I can still make the world better.  Call me a fool.