Mothers Protective Instinct
Aren’t we as mothers called to protect our children? We are predisposed to focus our attention on the safety of our children. So what do the mothers in Israel experience right now as their sons and daughters who are in the IDF reserves go off to fight?
How do mothers feel about their children’s safety right now in Israel? And in Gaza as war rages around them? And in Ukraine… And all the other places where there is war?
How do the mothers care for their children caught in a war?
The only thing I’ve learned from intense stress caused by serious illness, is to be calm, to be confident that all will be well. That helps the children get through. At a young age, they see us as omnipotent. If we say “Everything is going to be alright” they believe us and accept our words. And it is true, because ultimately, things do work through to peace once again. When we can focus on ourhope rather than the turmoil, it will help our children enormously.
As for ourselves?
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is the tree of life.”
It’s an old proverb but isn’t it true?! When we feel hopeless, we lack energy or enthusiasm, we lack optimism, we feel low. But when hope is fulfilled, it is such an exciting time. Think of the runner who wins the race. Or the actor who wins an Academy Award. Or the student who earns an A*!
We must focus on the possible. Even in war, as in medical challenge, we must continue to hope for survival. Surely this is what is happening in the Middle East and elsewhere right now… Hoping for survival seems small when your world is falling down around you. But it is the way forward.
Another Proverb
“The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness,
But who can bear a broken spirit?”
It is vital that we keep up our own hope so that we can give hope to others. Our hearts might be broken in war, but we must not allow it to break our faith that good will win, ultimately, or our will to live, love, laugh once again.