We need to do more to shine our light for children...... What a sad year it has been for the children of our world and indeed our beautiful little country of Ireland. The recent atrocities in Austrailia and Pakistan, the children of syria and the middle east, the children of africa, the children of the US and Europe,the children of Ireland and the children of galway. The sadness that has happened to these beautiful and helpless and vulnerable children is unbearable for me and for so many parents and I am sure for everybody. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their family members in their sadness and worry where terrible evil has struck. During the year on hearing of these tragic events I once again for the umteenth time hug my two little girls more tightly and I thank God for giving me the opportunity to have them in our lives and for the wonderful gift they are to my wife and myself. We must all, me and you and everyone must understand that we have a duty to cherish, love, care and protect the greatest gift that god has given us, our children. If this special time of Christmas is to mean anything in our country and around the world, behind all the decorations and presents, the message of this Christmas should be that each of us could and should do a far better job in looking after our little ones our most vulnerable in society when we dont look after them. I remember the poem called ‘To my Child’ on the wall of a children’s hospice I visited in Calcutta when i worked with Mother Teresa that went as follows and probably will mean so much to every parent after seeing what happened to the many little children who died in our world this year and are dying at the hands of people in power in so many countries in our world, To My Child ”Just for this morning, I am going to smile when I see your face and laugh when I feel like crying. Just for this morning, I will let you choose what you want to wear, and smile and say how perfect it is. Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park and play. Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together. Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles. Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck, and I will buy you one if he comes by. Just for this afternoon, I won’t worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned. Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cakes, and I won’t stand over you trying to fix them. Just for this afternoon, I will take us to Supermacs and buy us both a Supermacs meal so we both can have toys. Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much i love you. Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry. Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars. Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favorite TV shows. Just for this evening, when I run my fingers through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given. I will think about the mothers and fathers who are searching for their missing children, the mothers and fathers who are visiting their children’s graves instead of their bedrooms, and mothers and fathers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer senselessly, and screaming inside that they can’t handle it anymore. And when I kiss you good night, I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer. It is then, that I will thank God for you, and ask him for nothing, except one more day... It is so important to do something special with your loved ones, especially your children because life is short and we must do all we can to protect them and give them real hope for the future, for they are our future. Please remember the children in need in our world, in our country of Ireland and indeed in our towns and villages throughout our beautiful country of Ireland who all need our help, support, genuine care and prayers now, for tomorrow will be too late for a lot of them. I believe there can be a brighter future for our children in Ireland and indeed in Africa and in our world, but we all must shoulder the burden to do all we can to protect and give genuine care to our children and indeed learn from what has happened in our country and our world and many other situations of where the lives of children have been affected, or ended, that have surfaced in the last few years. Lets vow to do more if we can, where we can, especially for those affected by cancer, terminal illnesses, extreme poverty, abuse and abandonment...... https://youtube/watch?v=5jXxnr-FzQU
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 01:36:11 +0000