The Learning Curve

I am a vegetarian, I have been since Thanksgiving 2005.
I gave up eating meat a month or so before Thanksgiving but was able to purchase a free range, organic turkey and felt obligated to consume it on Thanksgiving...never again. I don't even think about eating meat. It seems foreign to me some how.
I read a book, May All Be Fed, by John Robbins that solidified my decision. He presented a strong case that if each human consuming a "western" diet was to decrease their meat consumption by 10% there would be fields enough to grow food for all of the starving people in our world. Well, I doubted that I could convince 9 others to change their ways so I gave it up entirely to contribute for 9 others. He pointed out that it takes 17 lbs of grain and 53 gallons of fresh water to produce 1 lb of beef...entirely inefficient process.
Not to mention all of the garbage that is given to animals raised for meat...
and the cruelty involved in the process.
Mad Cow's Disease resulted from making cows cannibals...
they were being fed remains of other cows for additional protein...
even without the viral like particle causing that disease the thought of eating one of your own would make you "mad".
Sorry...I am a little passionate about our food sources and meat/dairy industry as well as agribusiness make me frustrated and angry. My students get an earful when I get started on this topic.

So where were we?
Violence...I do agree with your insight that what happened in our young life is a microcosm of what is happening in our world.
I am starting to serve on a board of directors  for the county domestic violence shelter and was at orientation Wed.
We sat and talked about the issue of domestic violence...and kept coming back to 2 things...
first all of the services offered deal with the symptoms of the problems, not the source...
and second it all comes down to respect.
The Quakers have a profound statement that, if followed, could change the world...
"there is that of God in all beings"...
Imagine a world and society based on respect...not like...not passion...not even love...
but respect...treating others as if you were face to face with the Divine...Imagine.

But, we know that children are groomed and taught very early in life to accept abuse, abandonment, inappropriate behaviors and to expect that is what they deserve and how they should behave when they are grown.
 So it all has to start with parenting...helping parents to see clearly the miracle that they have been entrusted with. We can learn alot from our children if we just give them voice and opportunity to express themselves and their ideas.

I once wrote a song...or channeled a song...called The Learning Curve...
I haven't done anything with it yet...because of a weird fear...
I felt it was too forward thinking because it states the "God is learning too"...
my Catholic upbringing made me afraid to be so blasphemous.
Any way it talks about learning from our children...I will share it with you...

The Learning Curve
In the beginning, there was the Father, and in his likeness we were made.
Soon was frustrated by our willful, weak and impulsive ways.
He sent fires, plagues and warnings, He sent a 40 days rain.
Despite man's evil, God was able to save a blessed few...
And the rainbow holds a message...God is learning too.

There are children, from the Father, who come to life with special gifts.
They have wisdom, they have purpose, entrusted to our loving care.
Please don't label their behavior by disease or syndrome name,
They are different, they are special, they come to earth to channel Grace.
And the rainbow holds a message...We are learning too.

And as our Father learned to be patient and give mankind another chance.
We must also give these children a haven to grow and advance.
They need guidance, they need boundaries, they need respect and loving care.
"Whatsoever you do for my least ones, that you also do for me".
And the rainbow holds a message...We're all learning too.

The world is changing every second, and if we raise these children right.
They'll be leading a better world, a peaceful place for all of us.
It's a journey undertaken, to raise these children to the Light.
With God's graces and assistance we will have a better end.
And the rainbow holds a message...the world's still learning too.

This song came to me when I was struggling with my children's inability to "fit" into traditional school and didn't know if I should force them to conform to traditional school or learn to accept and embrace to their uniqueness.
God does work in wonderful ways...
the message was clear to me...
respect them for who their are...
they are not mine to break...
I have them for just a brief time to protect and nuture and allow them to grow and develop as they will.
The inherent wisdom is within them...
as it was within us...
but we were broken like a wild horse...using all means of leather, spurs, ropes and saddles...
instead of being gently led into adulthood.

I am crying for the loss as I type this...
I wish our parents could have seen the beauty and miraculous energy that surrounded them for all of those years...
but, from my perspective, all they saw was burden...instead of Grace and Divine Gift...
We were/are so much more than burden...
You, Clare, and I (and all humans) are images of the Divine...
beauty, grace, perfection...
That is enough for any incarnation.

I Love You,
Maggie