Children are a blessing / Kinders is 'n gawe

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“All kids need is a little help, a little hope and somebody who believes in them.”

Magic Johnson

Do you have kids? Do you intend to have kids? Christopher Morley once said: “We've had bad luck with our kids - they've all grown up.” You should know this beforehand, before you realise it, your kids will be all grown up. This, trust me, happens in a wink of an eye. How I wish my daughters back to being little again. Kids are truly, apart from possessing the privilege of being alive, the second most precious gift and blessing one may have. You should know that there are people who will not agree with me, but they are usually those who abuse their children, who neglect and abandon and reject their children. Some people have children as a means to an end – because then there will be someone to mow the lawn or to look after them when they are old (the latter is actually an important driving force for some cultures when it comes to having children). I think that one of the keys to a meaningful life is to live for someone or something other than yourself. This is where kids enter the frame, they make you unselfish and give you purpose. Lilian Katz gives excellent reasons why our kids are so important. She says that we all must care about everyone else's kids. We must recognize that the welfare of our kids are intimately linked to the welfare of all other people's kids because when a child needs life-saving surgery, someone else's child will perform it. If a child is harmed by violence, someone else's child will be responsible for that. The good life for our own children can be secured only if a good life is also secured for all other people's children. It is said that if you want to know how moral society is that you live in, then only look at the way the elderly are treated. Well, I add to this by saying that if you want to know how the future will look like, just have a look at how the children of today are being treated (and reared). Take this to heart and always cherish your children.

Kids are a blessing in all regards.
They are not there merely to attend our graves in graveyards.
We should raise them well, will love and affection,

and this act should be in itself, a predilection.

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“Al wat kinders nodig het is ‘n bietjie hulp, ‘n bietjie hoop en iemand wie in hulle glo.”

Magic Johnson

Het jy kinders? Beplan jy om kinders te hê? Christopher Morley het eens iets noemenswaardig kwytgeraak: “Ons het ‘n groot ongeluk met ons kinders gehad – hulle het groot geword.” Weet dit maar nou, voor jy jou oë kan uitvee is jou kinders groot. Ek sou enigiets gee om my dogters terug te hê na die tyd toe hulle nog klein was, en ek wonder wie (as jy reeds volwasse kinders het) sou met my saamstem hieroor. Kyk, naas die voorreg om lewend te wees is kinders die tweede mees kosbare geskenk en seëning wat enige mens kan hê. Daar is natuurlik diegene wie kinders as ‘n laspos beskou, wie nie van kinders hou nie, maar ook diegene wie kinders as ‘n middel tot ‘n einde beskou. Die slegtes mishandel, verwaardloos en verwerp kinders. Sommige mense bring ook kinders in hierdie wêreld vir die primêre rede om iemand te hê wie in en om die huis takies kan verrig en iemand om te hê wie na hulle (as ouers) kan omsien wanneer hulle oud is. Jy mag dit dalk nie weet nie, maar regoor die wêreld is dit die gebruik by talle beskawings om kinders te hê vir die hoofdoel om te verseker dat daar iemand is om na die ouers om te sien wanneer hulle bejaard is. Andere sorg weer dat hulle baie kinders het, want hoe meer kinders hoe meer hande om op die land te werk. Ek sal dit nooit verstaan hoe beskawings kinders kan gebruik as ‘n middel tot ‘n doel nie. Daar is steeds groot fout met ons wêreld, en mense besef steeds nie wat aangaan nie, danksy die gemaksones waarin hulle leef en die oogklappe wat hulle dra. In elk geval, daar is min dinge so lekker as om vir jou kinders te leef. Kinders maak jou onselfsugtig en gee nuwe doel aan jou lewe. Lilian Katz verskaf ‘n paar redes waarom kinders so belangrik is. Sy sê dat ons nie net na ons eie kinders moet omsien nie, maar ook moet sorg vir andere se kinders. Ons moet altyd in gedagte hou dat die welstand van ons kinders op inniglike wyse gekoppel is aan die welstand van andere se kinders. Wanneer jou kind nood-shirurgie gaan benodig, sal dit iemand anders se kind wees wie die shirurgie gaan uitvoer. Wanneer jou kind deur geweld leed aangedoen word, sal dit iemand anders se kind wees wie daarvoor verantwoordelik sal wees. Die “goeie lewe” vir ons kinders kan slegs verseker word as ons ook die “goeie lewe” vir andere se kinders kan verseker. Ons doen dit egter nie, en ek dink dit is waarom ons wêreld in so ‘n morele verval is. Daar word gesê dat as jy wil weet hoe moreel ‘n samelewing is, jy net hoef te kyk na hoe daardie samelewing hulle bejaardes behandel. Ek wil graag hier ‘n stuiwer in die armbeurs gooi deur te sê dat as jy wil sien hoe ‘n beskawing se toekoms daarna gaan uitsien, jy net hoef te kyk na hoe daardie beskawing hulle kinders grootmaak en behandel. Neem hierdie ter harte en koester ten alle tye die teenwoordigheid van jou kinders.

Kinders is in alle opsigte ‘n gawe.
Hulle is ‘n hawe waar jy jou boot kan vasmeer,

Maar dit maak seer dat mense kinders steeds mishandel,

En misluk om te besef dat kinders is in alle opsigte ‘n gawe.

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