THE BIG DARK
Oct 22, 2020
In some areas of the country, as fall rolls into winter, they refer to the coming of the The Big Dark. Days get shorter, skies turn grey. On some levels, we love to celebrate The Big Dark; the perfect opportunity to snuggle into your favorite Faceplant pajamas and make the world outside go away. But there’s a piece of it that feels just a little darker this year.
The discord we’re feeling, the distance from our neighbors and friends, is the scariest part of The Big Dark. As the pandemic has unfolded, a vast emotional divide has impacted friends and neighbors. We find ourselves politically aligning ourselves and our friends based upon our viewpoints.
This is how I see it; Two parents who both love their child deeply, often have different parenting styles. One might feel that structure and discipline are vital while the other feels that independence and freedom are critical to a child’s development. And they both are correct.
Together, they’ll raise an amazing child and although they may sometimes disagree, can continue to love one another in the process. I can respectfully disagree with your opinion and maintain my respect for you. If we view the cause and effect of economic, environmental or social discord from a different angle, I trust our friendship enough to believe that your heart and my heart love our world equally, we simply ascribe to different parenting styles, and this is how we can all navigate The Big Dark of 2020.
There are so many issues that have come to light in 2020. Bringing the issues to light allows us to work together, all of us. Working together requires us to remember something very simple. We all love our world equally.
Let’s stop polarizing those who disagree with us. Let’s remain respectful of differing parenting styles and commit to working together as a family to find solutions.
Ghandi reminded us to “be the change you wish to see in the world” which is sage advice. And it’s easily translated to “Be the light you wish to see in the world”. Particularly sage advice for The Big Dark of 2020.
Love and Light,