Holiday Notions for a Peaceful World

Rhythms of repetition circle our days. The sink full of dishes, empty only moments ago. The elusive laundry basket of holding transforms full to empty to full again. Spherical embroidery of life winks in the corner of our eye.

The moon overhead. Buttons. Cylinder heads. Plant pots. Time. Love. Loathing. Radio knobs. Birch logs.

Amid the chaos, random rhythms become smooth at the edges. Repetition folding in on itself till the beginning and ending collide.

Unable to find where we begin or where the other end might be, we continue doing the dishes. Washing the laundry. We take round things apart to put them back together again. And we watch the moon wax and wane with mysterious delight.

In the midst of this plenty many are in want. For peace. For quiet skies absent of artillery. Unshattered homes snug inside warm beds. A gleeful breath resolute and fearless. For want of an unbroken heart.

When the wrapping paper lay in shreds and the twinkling lights are packed tightly in their boxes, may we share our plenty in the days ahead with those in want.

Unswayed by the season.

Written by Julia Mist D'June ~ December 2024

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My the holiday season be joyful and filled with thoughtful intentions. 

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10 Tips for Parents from John Marsden

10 Tips for Parents by Australian Author John Marsden

1. Give children space. Back off. Let them roam. Let them be bored. Don't over-plan their lives. Cut way back on the after-school activities programs.

2. Keep away from all those ghastly, soulless, sterile playgrounds. Keep away from shopping malls. Look for real places. Wild places.

3. Be an adult. Say no to your children at least once a day. If the role of Adult in your family is vacant, then one of your children will fill it. And it won't be pretty.

4. Don't take up all the space. If you are dominating, loud, forceful, your children are highly likely to become passive, lacking spirit and personality … and/or sullen.

5. Believe about 40 per cent of the dramatic stories your children tell you of the injustices, corruption and satanic practices happening at school.

6. Teach them empathy. For example, after their jubilant victory celebrations when they win a sporting match, remind them that their jubilation was only possible because someone else – the losers – have been made to feel awful.

7. Help them develop language skills. Don't finish their sentences for them. Don't correct them when they mispronounce a word – they'll work it out sooner or later. Ask them open-ended questions, that need a detailed answer, not Yes/No questions.

8. Make sure they have regular jobs/duties at home and that those jobs are done to a consistently high standard.

9. Don't whinge endlessly about the miseries of your adult life. A lot of children now are fearful about growing up because their parents paint such a grim picture of the awfulness ahead.

10. Teach them to be very wary of people who Absolutely Know the Absolute Truth about Absolutely Everything! The colour of truth is always grey. Extreme positions are for the ignorant. Every creature, every person and every situation is complex. The universe is a wonderful mystery.

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Number 10 is a home hitter for me. While I am no longer an active parent raising the next generation, we all interact daily with humans of all ages and these are great tools to keep in our tool box of what it means to be kind humans to each other.