sadness extended

When my daughter was in the sixth grade a refuge worker came to talk to her class about the terrible conditions in refugee camps for human beings. He was a wonderful speaker, but the anxiety of the adults in the room as he spoke of the horrific conditions was palpable. The sixth grade teacher - a good friend was pulled out of the room and asked to see that these children were not exposed to the pictures and stories - the principal did not want to upset them. The sixth grade teacher - a very young woman facing her boss - asked her - these children are the same age as the children he is speaking of. Several years later - the stories of the Taliban's treatment of women surfaced in a class discussion in the high school. One of the least likely students stood up and asked - "So, what do we do for our sisters in Afghanistan?" She remembered the sixth grade stories and the connection to the suffering of others had been made. Those girls organized a "teach in" raised money to teach girls to read in Afghanistan and for three years held concerts to continue to touch the suffering women that they had somehow connected to at a very early age. When we teach our children that we are connected to the suffering of others - that we can make a difference - we have begun to aid in their growth toward compassion. Those fourth graders will have questions and fears. How we tell the story will keep them fearful or make them compassionate.