Today is Canada Day, and while I have always been and a proud Canadian, some of that pride has lost its sheen. The on-going discovery of unmarked graves, of native children being snatched from their families and sent to residential schools where they were violated, beaten, abused and even murdered, casts a heavy pall. I feel sick at this news, and very sad. I want to shut my eyes and ears but cannot, for although this did not happen in my lifetime, I live on what was once native land––and feel the depth of this atrocity. This blight upon our history can not be pacified or ignored. It’s a wake-up call, and I for one, intend to stay awake. As I look at what caused this horror, I see judgments being enacted from a self-righteous position and the arrogance that made it possible. The practice of superiority and condemnation is rampant in our world, and though I can’t heal the past, I can search out these same defects in myself and ask a simple question. Do I do this? I need to search my own soul for where I’ve been judgmental, arrogant and abusive and guess what? The answer is yes, I’ve done these things, for I judge members of my family and think I have better solutions. I need to call my habits out and do things differently. This is how I can heal what is offensive in me, and show compassion and understanding for others on a daily basis. This is how I can affect change. What about you? What can you do to take positive action? Email me your thoughts at angelspeak4@gmail.com.
Inspiration & Motivation