War- we all have it inside ourselves, within the society we live in, relationships we take part in, among nations, in all humanity. In varied degrees, we all go through it- personal or social, noble or mundane. War in essence is human nature. I am honored to enjoy the benefits of the battles fought by our forefathers. I will not dare reduce it by declaring outrage against war and its philosophies. I do not have the right. I do not have the wisdom to fathom its complexities nor the authority to judge it. I only wish that children be spared of it.
They say what does not kill us makes us stronger. There are many children who survived its tragedies and rose from the perils of that experience as stronger, enriched and wiser adults. Adversely, there are even more who succumb to the horrors of such ordeal and do not recover from the repugnance of a childhood of war. They suffer from apartheid, stigma, and the psychosocial trauma “normal abnormality” of violence- these, along with the multitude number of other psychological tribulations.
There are millions of children forced to grow up in conflict ridden nations, oblivious to its cause, virtue and purpose. The UN estimates that more than 2 million children have been killed in armed conflicts, another 6 million permanently disabled and more than 250,000 used as child soldiers. The worst hazard of war is not those lives it took, but the spirits it maimed. What can you do? - A lot. Kindness and compassion can go a long way.
Do not be intimidated by your own demarcations in reaching out to those in need. It does not have to be as grand and brave as picketing nor starting a full blast revolution nor being physically present in battle fields. You may do so if you are equipped while having a noble purpose of which you would uphold firmly. But for those who are likewise marginalized in some ways, you can do big things disguised in little acts of kindness. Treat children around you as you would have wanted to be treated when you were younger. Offer them inspiration, show them respect, give them kind words, hold them- make them feel loved and cared for.
It doesn’t matter who they are to you. It can be a child begging for alms on the street, or your niece, cousin, someone random along the way. Just because we cannot stop the war in the world over does not mean we cannot make someone’s world better even just for a moment. Believe me, that moment when you cared and gave even just a bit of yourself- it marks within, whether they remember you or not in the future, the act already graced their soul. You can only hope the children you have touched will pay it forward- I’m certain they will.
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