Raising a generation is a big responsibility and I as a mom take it as seriously as one can imagine .
Right from the beginning, I used to teach my children to love and watch out for each other as siblings no matter what….because they’re family!
As they grew older I started telling them to watch out for the extended family no matter how different their views or opinions are….because they are still family!
As they grew older and more aware of the world around them, I started telling them to watch out for their neighbors, their friends, their school mates and our friends networks no mater how different they are…..because we are one big human family!
As they saw me reaching out to our neighbors, sharing food and lending a hand during times of sickness, I taught them it’s important to protect and support each other as humans.
They learned how important it is to stand up against bullying at school, at neighborhood parks and in the market.
With our food drives and every charity work I used to take them to as very young kids, they learned it’s important to feel the pain and suffering of our helpless folks and do something about it. They learned charity is not something we do. It’s an obligation on us towards each other as a human family. I taught them how every $1 God Almighty blesses them with, it has a share of 25 cents for someone in need. If you have nothing to give, use your voice and skills. They learned how according to Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him, even smile is a charity. If you no other means to comfort someone, at least smile at them honestly to reduce their pain.
They learned how important it is to speak up against injustice by anyone to anyone. They learned how they need to stand up for weak and voiceless and most importantly not to differentiate between the people based on differences of opinion, race, religion and color when they are speaking.
Now, as they are teens, I see them growing up to be the strongly vocal, opinionated leaders of tomorrow. I see them making sure they reach out to others to help and to lend a hand.
I am sure I am not the only mother who teaches these lessons of humanity, love, fairness, solidarity and social justice to her children. There are millions of other moms doing so.
I’m sure we all understand the price we have paid as humans for not speaking for each other. The price we have paid staying quiet thinking “not my problem,because that particular problem wasn’t at my doorstep. The price we have paid for not establishing the human to human connection. The price we have paid for not supporting the voice of bullied, persecuted, tortured, abused humans just because they were different than us…..
We have had several generations who went on a guilt trip their entire life for not doing/ saying something for someone else….
Question is are you teaching the same to your children so our next generation doesn’t make the same mistakes ?