A compassionate soul no more

    As society has grown more and more with the greatness of discoveries in technology, we as humans are also losing something that truly makes us human in the first place. Showing compassion for one another has taken a back seat and being self absorbed has taken the forefront. We are in self destruction mode and becoming more robot like and losing the humanity which makes us different from all other creatures.

    I believe showing compassion for one another puts us in God’s good graces. However, nowadays we are so into things like computers and cell phones that are able to think for us, we are rapidly becoming distant from one another. Of course, we can call our friends and talk to them but the words are just words with no feeling behind them. Someone may say they are having a hard time financially or that they have just had a loved one pass away and we say how sorry we are while looking at a post of a cat doing funny things online. There is a disconnect from our true compassion because of our inability to focus on what is being said since we can talk on the phone and surf the net at the same time.

Lady with her head in her hands sitting at desk with computer and cell phone

    People have started posting their life stories on social media of both good and bad instead of consulting their families or churches directly. Once posted, these things are glanced over and never taken seriously because of the amount of things like these put on so frequently. There are no surprises left in society. It’s all out there and payed very little attention to by others. Everyone has that sad story they want people to know about and the most compassion they receive is a click that shows a sad face. Another problem lies because of the competition of so many posts. You may want someone to truly feel your pain and give you the hug that you need but with posting on social media, it must be much worse than the other friend that is posting their problems to be noticed. We unintentionally make our problems look much worse then they are. Unfortunately, we start believing what we have written and it really does make our problems worse then they started out being.

    Communication is just a click away and means absolutely nothing anymore. How can we show our compassionate soul to someone through words on a website? We are becoming robots with feelings that are no longer active. Once a trip to visit grandma was a big deal for a child, now it has becomes nothing more than a video chat. No more running into open arms, just a smiling face on a computer screen is what the child has to look forward to. Social events are now done through conference calls. We are no longer showing our humanity. We are too busy and no longer need to schedule that event. Just pick up your smart phone and socialize while riding the exercise bike at home.

    Are we going to get back to talking with the loved ones in person? It’s looking like that is just a thing of the past. Even if we socialize in person, we must stay six feet away and wear mask today because of the pandemic that is going around. This virus is helping us become less socialized in person and helping our robot side take more of our humanity away. We must change our way of thinking. We need each other to survive and we need each other to keep our humanity. If within the first few sentences your grandchild asks, when seeing you in person, is “Can I use your computer?” then there is a problem showing itself directly to you.

    Compassion has also taken a back seat when we do see others in person that need our help. The family with the cardboard sign on the side of the road no longer pulls at our heart strings. We over look them because we are in a hurry and besides, why can’t they take care of themselves? It never crossed our minds that they just lost their home in a fire and because of the way society is today, there is no family to help them. The computer burned up in the fire and so they are cut off from family and friends.

Lady shows compassion for another female

    Compassion is a form of love that seems to be put on the wayside in today’s world. It is so sad but true and with this loss, we have come one step closer to losing one of the greatest things that make us who we are. Don’t let your compassion for others be taken away or you too will become the robot that society is trying to change us into. Show compassion for your family, friends and others that need your shoulder to lean on when times are tough. Don’t become the mind numb robots that only shows feeling by clicking the thumbs up symbol.

    Don’t let this new society take away your compassion. Don’t allow your children to grow up without this great human quality. Stand up against those who are leading us down a path of becoming mind numb robots. If you are one whom is trying to keep humanity on the right track, I want to personally thank you. If it seems the walls are closing in and you feel that you are fighting an unwinnable battle, think again and Remember, we are all in this together. 

Father’s vs Daddy’s

     I believe we need to change the name from Father’s Day to Daddy’s Day. This is something that I have always believed. I think if you read on, you may understand where I’m coming from.

      What is a father? According to the dictionary, it is: a man in relation to his child or children. This is a pretty vague and open description. Daddy is an informal way of saying father, however in a child’s eyes, there is a big difference.  Any male figure can become a father, but not all fathers can or choose to be a daddy. There are many men who have created children, including very bad men. This includes abusive men, rapists or even murderers of their children. Why are we allowing these men to be celebrated? This is the first part of why I believe the name change is in order.

Daddy reading to his daughter while they sit in tent

      To all fathers that are taking care of their children, whether being in the same household or not, I salute you. The men that have stepped up for their children can be considered father and daddy. Remember, just because you helped create a child, does not make you a daddy.

        What about a man that steps up to raise a child that they did not create? Those that are stepdads and those that adopt children and become dads can possibly be considered daddy, but not always. If the men in these cases raise these children with love, compassion and respect, they may and possibly will become a daddy. However, in the stepdad position, this may or may not be the case. If the father is still in the child’s life and also shows the child love, compassion and respect, then this will trump the stepdad’s claim on the term daddy. As long as the stepdad shows love, compassion and respect for the child, then these are still great men to be respected.

Daddy sleeping with his child on his chest

       It takes a special man to be a daddy, It only takes sex to become a father. There is a huge difference in these two terms. Why are we celebrating all fathers when so many don’t deserve to be celebrated? Why are we leaving out the daddys that deserves to be celebrated? Some families do celebrate daddys on Fathers Day as well they should, but the name in the holiday doesn’t fit.

       I never knew my father and have not seen him since I was a baby. Do I believe this man deserves to be celebrated on Father’s Day? Without ever meeting this man, I would have to say no for now. I am now in my fifties and this man has never tried to contact me in any way. The man that became my stepdad at the age of four earned the role of daddy through the years. This man showed me love, compassion and respect until the day he died. I never called him daddy because I was raised in the time when that was only a term said out loud by the girls in the family. Dads and sons in my day didn’t hug or show much emotion. Shaking hands was the highest respect that was used to show love. I called him dad, but in my mind’s eye, I was always saying daddy.

Picture of my Daddy

       I will spend another Father’s Day this year without my daddy, and I miss him so much. If you have a daddy, make sure you show this great man love. Even though some of us old men are still stuck in the handshake mode, we still love our hugs.

       I hope I have made my case for the name change of this holiday. Some people never realize how special a daddy can be until they are gone. Have a  Happy Daddy’s Day!