Parents, here’s why you matter

Watching parents and their children is a life lesson, the personal yet universal way that they deal with words, gestures and hugs. That trademark tantrum at the supermarket which parenting experts charged a fortune to help you avoid but you are on the fiftieth.

Everybody knows by now that at a certain age children hate veggies, maybe we are really just carnivorous after all. It is a struggle to get food eaten and don't be angry when they spray your hair with porridge, payback does not take chances.Take a minute to observe how parenthood weaves us together. As soon as you get a baby you are presented with co-parents at various levels. You cannot raise a child alone, actually once you bring forth life, the entire universe automatically aligns to make one more life count.

When the baby can't sleep; depending on how you look at it, you have a night to make memories. When they babble you learn a new language, when they sleep and you watch them, you are overwhelmed at how right you were. Hope for mankind is exhibited by sleeping children, you vow repeatedly that you will do whatever it takes to make the world the best place for your child.

Now that we have activated parent mode, add the word parent to your career. Parent teacher, Parent President, Parent Doctor, Parent you. That done, let us look at everything we do with conscious parent lenses.

Define for yourself the roles of a parent again. Recognize that every child in the globe needs you. Do not shut down the possibility, open up to all these children. They are waiting on you. Open up to that love you have been hoarding for the children you have made or will make. Share it with all the children. Spill it, let it flow. Watch the children take it in, feel the universe filling you with more love. Give even that.

Notice you feel bolder? See how you clearly have solutions to the problems in the world? Put your finger on the instance your fierce love broke you into needed pieces; remember how the pieces were taken up by needy children. How it felt to let go of the pieces and morph into more solid pieces to further give.Gets better right? Knowing that no amount of pain, fear or helplessness can take you back to the hoarder you once were. Being so spread out you are lovingly everywhere. Receiving because you need to give and having no condition to giving. The world is happy when you are happy, when the children are loved.

Sit at your desk and love. We are not losing step, we are still with the flow. You have to make a decision about a business deal, make it in parent mode. You have to send troops somewhere? You are a parent, children need love. Are you in the barracks praying that you return safe to your children? There are children on the other side who have seen so much blood, lost everybody, go parent those ones. They need you.

While their hunger may be exhibited through malnutrition, their souls are speaking through their eyes. It is that blank stare of the Kenyan, Somali, Malian, Libyan, Syrian, Palestinian, Nigerian child that is tugging at your parent heartstrings.It is the Rwandese, Ethiopian, Ugandan, Sudanese child that is calling out to you through your own child. It is of paramount importance that we attend to our children. Global parenthood might just fill the void that the United Nations has not.

The easy bit is we can do it; the hard bit is we may not want to. We may find an excuse and that is why I am here today. Cover this planet in parental love, the love that does not give up. The love that nurtures and binds to the end. Takes in and gives out in entirety. The love that is reciprocated without delay. In summary, whatever was done to get you where you are, give it back a million fold. You know those conditions you have are not working. You see we are looking this bad because we have held back. You know what you must do, do it. Reach out today, to yourself first. Apologize to yourself for being so switched off before then just start. Speak love, be love, teach love, find love.

Watch the world when it sleeps in your part, in your children, in all children. When you get distracted, tune in again. It is the only job that won't drain you; it is what you were born to do. And if you say you cannot because you do not have children, you have parents, go learn. We need you.

You may not get to a child but you may reach to a fellow parent who is hurting children. You may reach that adult who still thinks they are making a valid point killing others. You may reach to the coldest of hearts, the ugliest of the feardom, the heart driven by senseless vengeance. Because that is the essence of parenting, it will lead you where you are most needed. Please do not hesitate, we can do this.