I keep hearing about our economic wellbeing as a society… I keep hearing such a big focus on that and meanwhile we are getting more and more emotionally and mentally sick…
What is the good of economic riches when people are too emotionally unwell to embrace what is great and to mentally sick to appreciate how ‘rich’ they are.
And then this flows on to families. In the family unit it seems we are more concerned about our economic health than our mental, emotionally and spiritual health…and while I am focusing on improving my economic situation and keeping up with the neighbours and the strangers on facebook, what price and I paying, what price is my family paying?
You see I am not sure what suburb you live in should be the first thing we discuss, I am just grateful you invited me into your home to share laughter, fun, connection and conversation… we have lost a little of that ‘kitchen table’ therapy and ‘bonding around the barbie’.
And I don’t really care what kind of car you drive on your travels, you see I am more interested in the travels you have taken within and on life’s journey and the fun, laughter and learning you had on the way…
You see in the end, nobody will have been concerned about the brand of clothes that you wore, that will not be celebrated… we will be more interested in the person who was in them and who they were and how they affected and connected the people around them.
And I don’t need to know where your kids go to school as a priority, I am more interested in what you do for fun as a family and what lights your children up, and what they end up achieving in life will not rest just on how much you paid for them to go to school, you can’t ‘buy’ success, peace, happiness, health, joy… well you may be able to buy it for a ‘hit’ but not long term… you always have to come back home after the glitzy holiday… can you appreciate your view at home as much as the view on holidays?
Oh and yes but I did see your photos on Facebook of your wonderful family overseas holiday, but you see I am just as excited to hear about what you talk about at the dinner table every night, I mean you do have dinner together around the dinner table don’t you? Magical moments happen right there.
You see I am happy for you that your son got an OP 1 but I was really proud and touched by the man he is when I saw him help an elderly lady across the road the other day.
Oh it is wonderful that your daughter is going to Uni, but I am more interested in who she is as a person, how happy she is and what you do for fun together.
Oh I do love all of your new furniture but I really was touched to hear how you and your hubby lovingly restored that gorgeous cabinet that belonged to your Mum… yes, I felt you light up.
Oh so your son got his licence and you got him a new car, that is great, yes, I understand you wanted to keep him physically safer by buying him a ‘good’ car, (or that is what we tell ourselves), but you see maybe he would have got emotionally stronger by buying it himself…
Economic health is fine…(and looking great on the outside is all well and good), but I do think the pendulum may have swung to far and we are paying a huge price with our emotional and mental health (what is going on in the inside), trying to maintain our economic health… and we are seeing the result of that is society right now… I mean it is fine that this big house that is our country looks so good economically but then you open the big beautiful door to discover domestic violence statistics are shameful… children from 9 years old in gangs and stealing cars.. etc etc… time to even things up perhaps?
