As of late we have been bombarded with images and video of the devastation that is happening in Iraq. For us in Australia, it’s almost unthinkable. Trying to wrap our minds around a situation like that nears impossible for us. Just one more reason we should be grateful for the freedom and the safety we experinece across our great nation.

Like many of you, we saw an image this week that chilled us to the bone. An image that most of us can’t ‘un-see’ it is etched in the recesses of our mind and again, we struggle to understand. I’m referring to the picture of that beautiful little boy who was holding a severed head as a trophy. The bright eyed, educated boy, holding a head in his hands like a medal he had recieved for a soccer match. That image almost tore my heart right out of my body.

Through this blog I have been writing (most recently) about our words and the power they have in the lives of our children, we’ve looked at what they are watching and feasting their eyes on. I am passionate about what is absorbed by children and believe, wholeheartedly, that we, as parents and grandparents, who love our children want them to grow into healthy adults. As I looked at the picture of that young boy, I thought of our children, our boys and how they crave the acceptance and respect of their parents, especially their fathers.

My heart aches to think that this young boys father can be so filled with hate that he would train his child to have no regard for human life like this. Regardless of Race | Age | Status | Background, we are all mankind and this is something we need to be teaching our children. We need to help them to become colour blind and to stand up for one another rather than stand on. I understand we all react and respond differently to scenes like this. I realise that our own value and belief systems play a big part in how we respond but may I suggest that aside from all of that, we need to first respond as fellow human beings who value life.

Again, I say that my heart aches for this little boy and many others like him, it aches when I see children being injured and killed in war. Children starving and sick because they have a particular faith.

I believe we as parents and grandparents need to teach our children to value every human being no matter what their faith is, where they come from or the colour their skin. We need to value humanity. As adults, we have the amazing opportunity to make a huge difference in this world of fear and mistrust. When we see images & videos like this and when we hear of situations like Iraq, it is incumbant on us that we stand up and speak our families, our children and remind ourselves to value mankind purely and simply because we are all made in the image of God and we are all valuable.

Let’s be a positive influence on all the children we connect with. Let’s train and developing their value and belief system by teaching them to value all mankind. Let’s teach them to believe in the potential of humanity and that there is gold within each individual. Let’s teach our children to value and love. Let’s let our homes be homes of love and let’s let love lead us.

Together, We CAN make a difference, this father is in his son’s life, lets come with the opposite spirit.

Much love,

Susanna