Friday, May 21, 2010

A Strange Torch Passing

For so many of us we find ourselves at a strange process in the road.  I wanted to draw this out because I have not heard anyone mention it from this standpoint, yet so many of us are in this boat.  I have heard of the term "sandwich generation" in recent conversations come up, referring to adults that are caring for both their growing children as well as their elderly parents.  A conflict is implied.  But I can't help but wonder why this may be the case?  We are spread too thin, over-tapped, and how did we get here to begin with?

But there is far more at stake here.  We don't just burn out as parents and caretakers.  There is a kind of shift happening that has not happened in our world for many generations.  I see it as an opportunity.  Every few generations, we get the chance to really think about things, to reflect on history a bit deeper, and make important decisions about our future.  Since our parents' generation a remarkable thing has happened in that a body of knowledge about the self and our spirit has emerged in such wide-spread fashion that we cannot afford to look at life according to our parents' legacies anymore.

We are in a position now to change the rules altogether.  Why should it be that you cannot maintain your nuclear family and the extended family at the same time?  Why are we so drained?  What causes us to be so over-committed?  Why should parenting be so draining?  Why should our parents be a burden to us?  Why do we feel so unprepared?  This is the strange torch I refer to.

The reality is that for most of our parents, they were too busy "doing" to reflect on these questions.  Perhaps many did not expect to be around so long.  And so we must decide how we will prepare our kids when it will be their turn.  What legacies are we creating?  To do this we need to de-clutter, to slow down, to cause big waves around us.  We hesitate to do it because it means disrupting our routines, our existing roles, and our current pace.  But when we are faced with a breaking point, and when we realize our children will pay the price if we do not overhaul, how can we not take responsibility?

I want to suggest that we are not here simply to survive our past or live out the expectations of the last or even current generation.  We are here to create a new world.  A place where it is safe to thrive and live out our unique destinites. A world of no limitations. When faced with the heavy load of the past, let's remember our wise Hopi leaders who said, "we are the ones we have been waiting for".  We have it in our power to create peace, to share grace and understanding, to redefine personal freedom, and to heal the wounds of the past.  It is with this vision in mind, that I want to encourage you to pick up the torch and to boldly go in the direction of your heart.

Namaste,
Adriana

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