Parenting for Peace

I recently had an e-mail conversation with a friend who had been an inspiration and a companion in the struggle for justice and peace.  She now has two small children and has become joyfully immersed in parenting.  She says: "I sometimes feel that I would like to be more immersed in the needs of the world, but I am stretched to my limit at present.   I am being gentle with myself.   As the children grow, I know that we will find ways to build compassion for the world into our family way of being."  

I really can relate to her words.  Since being a parent, it is hard to impossible to be actively involved in organizing marches and forums.  It's even a challenge to find time to keep up to date on current events and issues.

But make no mistake.  Even though we aren't leading chants at marches, we are very actively working for peace.  Here are some ways that we, as parents, can choose to work for peace:

• Buy a house near public transit and vote to support/increase public transit.


• Have only one car.


• Simple birthday parties


• Pray for the workers who made the clothes worn today.


• Pray for the farm workers who worked the fields for the foods we ate today.


• Don't shop Walmart or McDonalds


• Eat vegetarian.


• Don't go crazy at Christmas.

In the coming weeks, I'll address each of these points and explain in a bit more detail how these activities stand for compassion and against war and oppression.  It is our hope that writing them down will help us to act more truly on what we believe.