Maybe the title might look strange but if you follow the links embedded in the text you will understand my choice.
A couple of weeks ago I found an article online about a study which finding was that increased longevity evolves from grandmothering.
There are a number of studies that show a direct connection between improved nutrition and survival of children and grandmothers (a study conducted in Gambia) or that the role of grandparents becomes increasingly more important as society and families change and the influence they have on the lives of children and adolescents and on children positive outcomes.
The theory about the impact of grandparents in human evolution might be in the future contradicted or confirmed but there is an undeniable tie between each of us and our grandparents.
And they don't have to be blood family.
My grandparents (including great-grandparents) have been a huge influence into who I am today. With good (and there is so much of that) and bad they have been a source for love, knowledge, power, wisdom. We didn't/don't always see eye to eye, not always agree but around my grandparents are magic places where family comes together. And that matters a lot.
June 20 was World Refugee Day. The theme for this year was FAMILY.
"There are now more than 45 million refugees and internally displaced people
– the highest level in nearly 20 years. Figures give only a glimpse of this enormous human tragedy. Every day, conflict tears apart the lives of thousands of families. They may be forced to leave loved ones behind or become separated in the chaos of war."
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Death, losing family members, having to flea and abandon homes, living in overcrowded refugee camps with little resources, being separated from family, physical and emotional trauma become the reality and the familiar.
So many children around the world are denied the opportunity to grow without the concern for violence or starving. So many children are denied the opportunity to grow and benefit from their grandparents love and so being denied access to a part of self they will never get back.
Love is never broken. Soul connections will never disappear without trace. But what will be able to replace the time they never get to share...
The theory about the impact of grandparents in human evolution might be in the future contradicted or confirmed but there is an undeniable tie between each of us and our grandparents.
And they don't have to be blood family.
My grandparents (including great-grandparents) have been a huge influence into who I am today. With good (and there is so much of that) and bad they have been a source for love, knowledge, power, wisdom. We didn't/don't always see eye to eye, not always agree but around my grandparents are magic places where family comes together. And that matters a lot.
June 20 was World Refugee Day. The theme for this year was FAMILY.
"There are now more than 45 million refugees and internally displaced people
– the highest level in nearly 20 years. Figures give only a glimpse of this enormous human tragedy. Every day, conflict tears apart the lives of thousands of families. They may be forced to leave loved ones behind or become separated in the chaos of war."
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Death, losing family members, having to flea and abandon homes, living in overcrowded refugee camps with little resources, being separated from family, physical and emotional trauma become the reality and the familiar.
So many children around the world are denied the opportunity to grow without the concern for violence or starving. So many children are denied the opportunity to grow and benefit from their grandparents love and so being denied access to a part of self they will never get back.
Love is never broken. Soul connections will never disappear without trace. But what will be able to replace the time they never get to share...
6.8 million people are affected by the war in Syria. 4 million are children are in need of urgent need for help. - UNICEF
1.6 million Syrian Refugees - UNHCR
1,025,809 Registered Somali Refugee Population - UNHCR
59,642 Liberia Refugees - UNHCR
174,129 Mali Refugees - UNHCR
223,754 Refugees in South Sudan - UNHCR
90,991 Sudanese Refugees in Ethiopia - UNHCR
1 comments:
Thank you for this article. My (one and only) grandmother passed away when I was 13 years old. It has been hard to live without her physical presence...and I will go on to miss her for the rest of my life. We mostly are not fully aware the blessing a complete family is until we have to take leave of someone who used to be around us and has been part of who we are.
When we have to bid farewell to a family member parts of his heart is left with you - and parts of your broken heart leaves with him. One day in heaven when we will put all theses pieces together. That´s the time we will return to the angelic bliss.
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