The Editor
The North Renfrew Times,
Deep River,
Ontario, K0J 1P0
Dear Sir/Madam
JOYS OF CHILDREN
The children are like a link in a chain continuing the human race. They are inheritors of all our learning of the past and provide a signpost for the future generations to come.
The children are like morning dew providing sparkle to life. They sing, laugh and make us all smile. They skip, jump and play ball; and in that they provide the seeds for constructive use of human energy.
The children are like a flute providing harmonious melody in our lives. With their tunes on recorders, piano and other musical instruments they create home environment where depression and blues have no place to linger around.
The children are like a catalyst, which generates communication and understanding within the family. Without children there is no family. They bring all members of family together o share and enjoy joys of human endeavour and existence.
The children are like a visitation of God in a community. They are answers to our prayers and provide us unabashed opportunities to care and share. If we look around at ski trails, gym meets, swimming and other activities in the community, we are witnessing God working through all those fine volunteers who come out to help and share their expertise and love.
The children are like that road signpost in a stormy night providing hope. They have come to us with the grace of God and provide us hope for companionship and support in our old days. In the present, they enliven our environ in unknown lands and cultures. They show us how to make friends without inhibitions and extend warm neighbourly hands to others.
The children are fresh like the morning mist. They are innocent and impressionable. The society feels cheated if children are abused and/or badly treated by scheming and selfish adults. When there is pre-meditated abuse such as rape and killings of young children (for example, Parrette girl in Toronto area and terrorist bombings of planes and places), the perpetrators of such crime are like a roadblock to human progress. Many dreams and hopes are shattered. There is no crime worse than that crime where trust, innocence and faith are taken advantage of; especially when children have placed trust and faith in human goodness. Naturally, there is in heart a conviction that such premeditated crime should be brought to book and where necessary, such perpetrators should pay the ultimate penalty of capital punishment. Though, it is against my religious and spiritual belief, at times even I have pondered the merits of the capital punishment route. It is doubtful that the law- enforcing authorities can bring all the perpetrators to justice. Lack of evidence could be cited for not catching these people.
The better route would then still remain to pursue the ideal of forgiveness, which is epitome of ultimate human goodness. The children are like that. They fight at one time and next they are friends again like anything. They have forgiven and forgotten. Forgiveness and compassion are effective if coupled with repentance on the part of those who commit crimes. The society will be better off if the quality of repentance (and acceptance of mistakes) is taught as a part of moral fabric of all civilized societies.
The children are like great sages who show the world the moral habits of trust, innocence, faith and quality of forgiveness and compassion. Without children our hearts would be barren like desert devoid of any life and growth. May God give us manifold opportunities to absorb the joys of children and provide to us interesting and fruitful life,
Pravin Shah