Pay it Forward Fridays - Be the Change

Ever had those days where you are just frustrated, scared, and mad at the world? Ever had those days where you second guess bringing children into this horrible world?

I had one of those yesterday. I had a conversation with a friend who told me all about the most horrible things that are going on in her neck of the woods - and it reminded me why I don't watch the news. Brutal killings, 4 yr old kidnapped from local ice arena, rapes and break ins. And that's just what was on the radar on that day. Welcome to small town, Canada, where we mistakenly thought we we safe.

As a parent I struggle with this on so many levels. The most obvious one being the safety of my child. It makes you want to lock them in their rooms and not let them leave - just to keep them safe. But we can't keep them in solitary confinement for the rest of their lives, for other than raising some sun deprived and socially awkward kids, the goal is to hopefully provide them with the best information and tools to make good sound judgements. And even then, well, lets face it, there are just many things beyond any one's control. And as a parent, particularly in reference to a child's safety, that's tough to accept - at any age.

One of the biggest areas I struggle with in raising my daughter, is how to teach her to be compassionate, while also teach her to be safe. Sometimes these can be conflicting messages - hard enough for adults to comprehend, let alone the 4 yr old brain.

While gasping in the fear and horror of our society, I was introduced to this website; www.metowe.com. And it gave me hope once again, for the Peanut's future. Me to we is about children changing the world. It is not about learning to become someone who will change our future, it is about changing our today. And it was a message that I needed to hear. Isn't life funny? Sometimes when life throws us into the lake, it also throws us a rope.

I really encourage you to find out more about this organization, and I am currently reading Free the Children by Craig Kielburger, one of the founders of Me to We.

"One day while searching for the funny pages in the newspaper, a morning ritual, 12-year-old Craig Kielburger was stopped by a headline that read, "Battled Child Labor, Boy, 12, Murdered." Iqbal Masih, a Pakistani boy, had escaped child labour at age nine to become a leader in the movement against bonded labour and child slavery. He was eventually shot and killed for speaking out.

Craig brought the article into his Grade 7 class to ask if anyone would help him continue Iqbal's fight. Eleven hands shot up, and Free The Children was born. Since that day, Craig and his friends haven't stopped. He has travelled the world, learning from thousands of forgotten and voiceless people, and giving inspirational speeches to world leaders and youth." (an excerpt from www.freethechildren.com)

I look forward to teaching and showing the Peanut all the goodness this world has to offer and leading by example that one person can make a difference - by Being the Change! While also teaching her to be safe. I encourage you to do the same :)

What are your thoughts???