Liberate us while we are young, or now

It’s getting close to our worst right now

We tried to help Younger Child. We see the suffering. And Younger Child thinks that fulfillment lies outside us

This is what society teaches Young People: Your value is assigned by teachers as grades, by the number of followers and likes

Do what adults say to you, and you will be rewarded. Don’t do what adults say to do and you will be punished

This is violence

Young People are humans. People. They need to be taught an internal Locus of fulfillment

We use coercion and rewards and manipulation. Why? To control them

Let’s agree not to do this. Let’s agree they are People with real feelings who need our nurturing to survive. Let’s guide them towards inner-fulfillment

Hard to do when adults are not fulfilled from the inside. Who will be the first to liberate and be liberated?

We are trying so hard to heal us, heal family, not quit.

We don’t have to write the end of this story yet

And we want to so that we control how it goes

We have too much anger and fear and trauma and confusion, delusion, grasping, craving

We are so unskilled

And we see ways to lessen suffering

But we can’t force anyone, least of all us

We are not so many things

What are we?

We care enough to be trying. We can’t attach to outcomes. We can try our best and still have no control

Give up control

Try because Love says to try

Try to take more time, be more patient, listen

Try to connect with self, with others

Just keep trying

Breathe

And then breathe again

Bring attention, awareness, non-judgment. Let time slow down

Let now be just now. Stop listening for the echo of the past or the clanking of the arriving future

Now is the washing machine you hear. The words you type. The clenched gut. The tight jaw. This is aliveness. Awakeness.

This is trying