IT TAKES A VILLAGE

     So goes the saying, that it takes a village to raise a child. Overall, the sweet hometown villages where all know all are disappearing, but then again, the boundaries of the globe are disappearing as well. Perhaps this somewhat explains the world's attention glued to Thailand the past two weeks.
     Yesterday morning the phones were busy in my house, friends calling friends to update them on the latest count, the latest queries as to when they would all be out and would they all be okay in the end. But why? Why this interest in kids we never knew or will ever know, in  a country we will never be likely to visit, a country that basically sums up the knowledge we have of it in a few sentences. It has lots of refugees from the wars of the area; it has deep political issues now; it is the kingdom of Yul Brynner and Prince Chulalongkorn,and the names are very, very long.
     So why this intense and ongoing interest, not only from me and my friends but basically the entire world. It is because the world became that village, united in concern for kids who seemed to be made of solid material and souls who cooperated and united with each other for survival and who demanded that the rest of the country and indeed the world do the same.
     And so it did, with divers from many countries, though notice that no dictatorial country sent any. Their concern is wrapped up in themselves so we, Israel, Britain, and other countries sent. And thousands of people were brought together to pump water, to cook and serve food, to comfort parents awaiting news of their sons, to carry and position heavy tanks and pipes and hoses, to do all they could for those brave and tireless divers. It was indeed an effort to bring tears to one's eyes.
     Tears of joy as the rescue progressed, as the boys received medical care in the cave, as three divers and a doctor remained with them, but also tears of regret, of mourning, as we realized that it was so sad, so awful, that we could not unite the world with concern for children all over the globe.
     Seeing and hearing the children crying right here in America as we ripped them away from parents. Seeing the cold cages we stored them in, unwanted packages that our government held as hostage, seeing all this, my soul and heart shriveled in shame and mourning that my country could do that.
     The same thing happens when I watch the children of Gaza taught to throw firebombs and explosives over the border into Israel to start awful and threatening fires, poisoning the very air and making it hard to breathe for all. Why is this what they are taught. Why not be in school, with the funds expended on fuel and drones and time rather than on what it should be spent on? 
     When I see the dazed faraway faces and eyes of kids in Syria, all they have known in their brief lives being war, rubble, explosions and loss, lack of safety, I wonder, what is the matter with the people of Syria that they do not look at their children and make peace? But then again, I realize that there are foreign countries involved in this proxy war and they do not stop. Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, Syrian forces and yes, us too - why can we not look at the children and see what we are doing to them and to the world? Israel and Jordan are both expending huge amounts of money and people in aiding the wounded, feeding the hungry, but in Syria they will have to stay for these countries cannot be overwhelmed with refugees.
And so the children continue to suffer, dazed and confused, growing up in a world where there is little love and compassion as people fight to survive.
     Further on, we see the starving children of Africa and their equally starving mothers. We see the children of rape, despised by the families they are born into, doomed to grow up - if they will - in a world where they know nothing of good and caring, grow up to become another generation that will eat its young.
     So why the interest in Thailand? Maybe because here we saw some hope, some determination to rescue these kids and who knows, perhaps one will grow up to do something marvelous for Thailand and the world. Perhaps one of these children will remember how the world came together to help children they did not even know and perhaps he will start a movement that will take over the world, forcing us to look to our children and the children of others and truly see what we are doing and stop, just stop!!!
     So hurrah for these brave kids and their intrepid rescuers. Hurrah for the coach who gave of his own share of water and food to them so they would survive. Shame on us for losing kids right here in our country and shame on those who could live with a job that required them to hear these kids, to see the awfulness of ripping children away, of telling lies to parents, to all those countries who disregard their children. To the Ukraine. To Russia. To China. To us. What are we teaching them? What are they learning? When will we ever learn? Think about that.