You're Not Alone if the Endless World Issues Overwhelm You

This post called for a cover photo of my puppy when she was 2 pounds because how does that not make your soul happy?

Here’s the pressing question of the day:

“What kind of world are we leaving behind for our children?”

This isn’t a new question. I know I’m not the first parent to think it…but my God, it feels so heavy now that it’s not just a tagline for a nature documentary. I actually have children, and I am terrified at the thought of them suffering.

Suffering because metals in their baby food gave them cancer.

Suffering because pollution causes insane natural disasters.

Suffering because cleaning supplies poison their brains over time.

Suffering because they can’t hold a conversation due to digital absorption.

Suffering because mass shootings have become the norm—anytime, anywhere.

Suffering because people can no longer agree to disagree while still being kind, or at least civil. 

Velveeta mac and cheese, the lonely kid in class, contaminated tap water, lipstick, carnival rides, big pharma corporations, touch screens in cars, emotional distress from social media, inaccurate facts thrown around on the internet—they can all kill you.

Sometimes I just have to separate myself from it all, choosing ignorance over action because it’s all too much. How do I choose which problem to advocate against? Do advocates even make any real change? Is change possible, or is it all too far-gone?

Huge props—and a huge thank you—to the people who don’t become paralyzed by their observations of the world, and instead channel that anxiety into action, believing that they can actually make a difference. We need those people. Recently, I even wrote about the importance of helping our kids become those people. Civic leaders who step up and do their darndest to fight for a better future are awesome. Even when I disagree with certain stances, I respect people tremendously who take tangible steps to make a widespread change they believe in. (Not to be confused with people who rant on social media, picking arguments and making blanketed statements that only further alienate community.) 

That said, I am not one of those people. Not all the time, at least. I think about the toxins in our food and the possibility that cancer keeps some pharma execs rich and how there are too many guns in our country to possibly regulate…and I freeze. I turn on Top Chef or take my toddler to the beach. I read self-help books and breezy novels that remind me of my personal worth and passions, or the simple pleasantries left in the world.

I don’t think I’m a horrible person for choosing ignorance once in a while. I care deeply for the state of the world, especially as it pertains to my son and unborn daughter.

Every here and there, I’ll let one fear trickle in so that I can tackle it. I stopped wearing traditional deodorant about two years ago. I started buying as much organic food as we can afford about one year ago. Today, I listened to a podcast about teaching our children to be upstanding citizens of the digital world, and hope to implement those ideas into my parenting. I just can’t soak it in all at once like the story-round up on the nightly news, or else I’ll become crippled.  

I promise I do take action beyond deodorant choices, but not in publicly impressive and obvious ways. My form of civic duty speaks to my overall desire to see this world become a kinder, safer place, beginning with individualizing people again. I make dinners for people who are struggling. I keep my friendships—new and old—deep and lasting. I donate to GoFundMe pages and hand out money to homeless people when God puts it on my heart at the stoplight. I pray earnestly for people I read about in stories, smile at cashiers, and handwrite thank you notes. Sometimes I even sign petitions and send pre-composed letters to politicians!

I also openly share thoughts on subjects I feel fully decisive about—for instance, the subject of how porn, strip clubs, and prostitution all feed a dark sex industry that encourage human trafficking and a whole slew of disgusting, underground crimes. So no, I can’t support even “consensual” sex industry workers who preach female empowerment. (And that doesn’t even touch on the spiritual ramifications…but rant over.)

You see—there are SO many specific issues to think about. I want my sweet, funny, innocent, loud, chubby son to be safe. I want him to be healthy, spiritual, caring, engaged, brilliant, active, respectful, respected, and kind. Unfortunately, the world seems to be a breeding pool of sources, tools, and interaction that almost fight against all of these things. It scares me. 

For now, I’m focusing on what I can do. It may be little at a time. It may only affect the people in arm’s reach of me, but it’s what I’m capable of. I can teach my son the best I can. I can use certain cleaning products and conduct myself a certain way online and in person. Maybe one day I’ll be an activist on a larger scale, but I hope that all of us who tend to freeze up at the magnitude of our world’s issues can remember that it’s not your fault you feel overwhelmed, nor are you a terrible person if you choose to enjoy life in ignorance every once in a while to make the most of the short time we each have on this earth. Just remember we can take little steps in our own lives as we feel equipped to do so. And maybe—MAYBE—those little steps in our little circles can eventually add up to something big.