A young boy asks his father, “What happened in Kashmir?”
Those of us sheltered from the daily horrors that have become a way of life in far too much of the world may be unprepared to answer honestly when our children ask us questions like this. How do we reveal much less “explain” the violence in the world, when we don’t quite understand it ourselves?
Fred Rogers said about talking to young children about such events – “look for the helpers.” In any horrible scene (e.g. that you might read in the news) there will also be people who are helping, even if it is only the reporter bringing public attention to it. Equally or rather more important are those who help prevent violence and disaster. Their work may be less visible meaning we need to “look” for them in other ways.
Going one step further, one can try to be a helper – even from a distance, as this father tried to do.
“B, We have to go a protest today. Do you want to come too?”
“What is this protest, Acha (Dad in Malayalam)?”
“It is about a place called Kashmir. A lot of people have been killed and blinded there by the police and the army.”
“What happened there?”
“Ok, Let me tell you…..”
Read the full article in Two Circles: “Father, Tell me about Kashmir.“
Ask Amma 