True Insanity

Something has really been bothering me a lot lately… something about war and other countries and death by the dozens… something about the low value placed on life. I’ve been bothered by the reports day after day of bombs and insurgents and rebels and violence and caskets and young men, death and death and death. Nobody has a child to die. Nobody gives birth to a son, nurtures them, cares for them, just to have them end in one moment’s time, useless violence over something stupid like oil, land, even principles.

I look at my son and think about how valuable he is to me. Every inch of his skin, every hair in his head, every smile he gives me, every breath that he takes, everything about him is so valuable to me. And I’ve invested everything I’ve got into him. All my patience, wisdom, money, prayers, hopes, dreams, efforts… everything I’ve got I’ve put into raising him. The effort I’ve put into my job pales in comparison. The effort I’ve put into my home, my writing, anything else, doesn’t even come close to the magnitude of everything I’ve poured into the raising of my children. I’ve invested everything in them. Nobody raises their children to have them die.

When is war ever right? I guess it must be right sometimes but it seems so wrong to be sending our young men off to war. It would make more sense for ME to go off to war than someone’s son who hasn’t even had a chance to live his life yet! Maybe all of us women over fifty should make up the front lines. I could aim and shoot just as well as the next person. I can hardly stand the idea that some guy in his twenties is out there dying while I’m over here sipping a Starbucks. It’s just making me crazy. It shouldn’t be our young men. All of us older people should be fighting. That would take care of the baby boomer overpopulation.

I find myself glad that my son has diabetes so that I’ll never have to send him off to war. And I find my heart in constant pain for all the mothers that are losing sons each day. I sit here thinking that this is total insanity. How can we send our young men off to die? Why do we do this? Why have we always done this? It seems like this is the most unnatural and insane thing that we could possibly do. I am so sick of this world and so ready for the next. I am looking forward to abiding in a place where sanity, peace, and right-ness reign.