Still reeling from the aftershocks of last week's vote to leave the EU, I wanted to write something - but so much has already been written, and the internet needs another angry rant like Instagram needs another 'avocado on toast' shot. Lets face it, we're all a bit exhausted.
With a new baby to feed, and thus many wakeful hours in which to sit and think, I've been considering the world that my young children will grow up in.
The biggest menace on our local streets is usually me piloting a buggy the size of a bus, powered by three hours sleep and too much caffeine. But there are more reports of hostility emerging every day, and it's scary stuff.
It struck me that what our country needs to do now, regardless of what the future holds, is to face fear and find compassion. Fear is what got us into this mess, and fear is now making things a whole lot worse. Compassion might just help us to come out the other side.
Now, I'm not suggesting we start sending loving vibes to Nigel Farage when many of us would rather picture his smug face being flattened by a Belgian waffle iron (whoops, back to the compassion thing...), but we're all in this together.
So I've been thinking about those who've been living in hardship and believed they were voting for positive change, about those who felt at home here and are now feeling unwelcome, and about everyone who is anxious about our shared future.
It will be years before our little ones understand and feel the implications of the referendum. I did mention Brexit to the toddler but she thought it was a new kind of cereal, and said she'd rather stick with Weetabix, thanks very much. Admittedly a two-year-old might not have been my best choice for political debate, but her hair is spookily similar to Boris Johnson's, and no one else seems to have much of a clue either.
A quote that has been running through my mind these last few days is:
'Be the change you want to see in the world.' - Mahatma Gandhi
This isn't an 'all we need is love' message - we're going to need more than that to get through this sh*tstorm, but it's a start. So right now I'm trying to look at others with compassion and a little understanding. This is what I want my kids to see - not anger, blame and fear.
I hope that, although we're facing unsettled times, we can stand together and I'm sorry if I've put you off Belgian waffles for life.
This post originally appeared on Parenting Calm, a blog about mindful living and positive parenting - with a sense of humour.
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