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The reality of a world that is not kind.

It caught me off guard. I wasn’t intending on getting into the subject of suicide, but when she said: “Someone told us about a girl who felt so ugly she took her life”, I realized this was a subject we needed to talk about. I was sharing about my job with the crisis hotline with a group of 10 year olds. Children I imagine are living in safe and protected homes (but I don’t know). I was planning on talking about subjects I thought were more appropriate to their age group; thinking (and hoping) that bullying and self-image would be heavy enough. And then I am sat there having to re-think my strategy and find words to be real with these 10-year old, without traumatizing them by a reality they should not have to think about.

Thankfully these were children who were good at reflecting and putting words to their thoughts and feelings. And we made it through our time together, not with all the answers, but them with a slightly deeper glimpse of the dark reality of our society.

The conversation with them has stuck with me. Making me think of how sad it is that children have to be exposed to realities they should never have to process. And yet, so many children in this world are living unimaginable things which they should never have to encounter in their lifetimes.

The conversation made me wonder how we can raise children in a reality where they feel safe, valued and love, yet at the same time prepare them to live in a word that is not kind. A world where for some, life gets so hard they can’t imagine continuing living. How do you prepare a child living in a safe home, to step out of that place and bring hope to someone whose reality is so different?

I don’t have the answer, but after being faced with so many children whose realities are so rough, I realize that there is also a challenge when faced with children in good homes. And the challenge is to raise them to grow up to be men and women who don’t just stay in a safe bubble, closing their eyes to the suffering around them, but ones who walk in kindness and bring others into safety and value. And I hope that these 10 year olds will be that light in someone’s darkness.

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