Sunday, May 24, 2015
"Family is a haven in a heartless world." - Christopher Lasch
Yesterday I wrote a little bit about the factors that may influence a person's prospects for healing from trauma. I made the related point that policy here in the United States is not exactly very kid friendly as of late. The number of homeless children in America has significantly increased in recent years. Though I do not have data to draw justified conclusions I will make an educated guess that this increase is due at least in part to the 'Great Recession'.
Coddling millionaires and ensuring the unnecessary provision of welfare to powerful corporations seems to be a greater priority for our Congress than ensuring the current safety and future prospects of children. If our nation were more kid friendly and forward thinking I believe we would see different outcomes in certain hot-button policy topics including gun safety, welfare and infrastructure spending. Ghandi once noted "the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members". To apply such a standard to assessing the quality of a society shows the United States to be sorely wanting. Greed seems to rule the day.
I cannot comfortably endorse the words of Christopher Lasch as being always and everywhere true. Some children unfortunately discover family to be anything but a haven. Children who experience trauma while growing up in dysfunctional families may later spend many years of their adult lives overcoming those early life wounds. I certainly know that story. It has been my own story. I am fortunate to have survived what I endured. I am also fortunate to enjoy the gift of excellent health insurance. I have no intention of going without health insurance in the future. I have learned a lot in these last two years about what can happen when we are woefully underprepared for periods of hardship in our lives. A lack of health insurance is but one factor that can really undermine your ability to enjoy some manner of stability and health in your life.
So what do we do when family does not prove to be a haven? Or put more accurately what do we do when our family of origin does not prove to be a haven? We must go out and create a family elsewhere. I have been working on this challenge for a while.
I spend a lot of time contemplating my future these days. I try to balance this activity with sufficient attention to and appreciation of my life in the present moment.
Within the coming months I plan to change the focus of my blog. I plan to spend less time recounting my day to day life and more time making this blog be something of a resource to others. I am still not sure what type of content I will produce. But my blog will continue on in some form.
The only constant in life is change.
"Family is a haven in a heartless world." - Christopher Lasch
Yesterday I wrote a little bit about the factors that may influence a person's prospects for healing from trauma. I made the related point that policy here in the United States is not exactly very kid friendly as of late. The number of homeless children in America has significantly increased in recent years. Though I do not have data to draw justified conclusions I will make an educated guess that this increase is due at least in part to the 'Great Recession'.
Coddling millionaires and ensuring the unnecessary provision of welfare to powerful corporations seems to be a greater priority for our Congress than ensuring the current safety and future prospects of children. If our nation were more kid friendly and forward thinking I believe we would see different outcomes in certain hot-button policy topics including gun safety, welfare and infrastructure spending. Ghandi once noted "the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members". To apply such a standard to assessing the quality of a society shows the United States to be sorely wanting. Greed seems to rule the day.
I cannot comfortably endorse the words of Christopher Lasch as being always and everywhere true. Some children unfortunately discover family to be anything but a haven. Children who experience trauma while growing up in dysfunctional families may later spend many years of their adult lives overcoming those early life wounds. I certainly know that story. It has been my own story. I am fortunate to have survived what I endured. I am also fortunate to enjoy the gift of excellent health insurance. I have no intention of going without health insurance in the future. I have learned a lot in these last two years about what can happen when we are woefully underprepared for periods of hardship in our lives. A lack of health insurance is but one factor that can really undermine your ability to enjoy some manner of stability and health in your life.
So what do we do when family does not prove to be a haven? Or put more accurately what do we do when our family of origin does not prove to be a haven? We must go out and create a family elsewhere. I have been working on this challenge for a while.
I spend a lot of time contemplating my future these days. I try to balance this activity with sufficient attention to and appreciation of my life in the present moment.
Within the coming months I plan to change the focus of my blog. I plan to spend less time recounting my day to day life and more time making this blog be something of a resource to others. I am still not sure what type of content I will produce. But my blog will continue on in some form.
The only constant in life is change.
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I invite you to accompany me as I document my own journey of healing. My blog is designed to offer inspiration and solace to others. If you find it of value I welcome you to share it with others. Aloha!