Memorial Day

It was supposed to be day one of our summer homeschool schedule, but I forgot about Memorial Day.

I recently stopped taking ADHD medication because I’m going through perimenopause and can no longer handle the added anxiety and overstimulation to my central nervous system. Since today is a holiday, we’re going to treat it as an extended weekend while also remembering those who fought in wars, something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.

Speaking of enemies, have you read the children’s book The Enemy by Davide Cali?

The story begins with two soldiers trapped on opposite sides of a war. Each has been taught that the other side is evil. They are told the enemy is cruel, monstrous, and less than human. But as the story unfolds, we begin to see something unsettling: both soldiers are scared, lonely, exhausted, and manipulated by the same fears.

Some people believe evil is literal and comes from the devil. Others see the devil as a metaphor for our shadow qualities: greed, contempt, hatred, lust for power, envy, and the parts of ourselves we choose to ignore or are often completely unaware of.

Either way, the result is often the same.

When fear, tribalism, and contempt are constantly fed through social media, “if it bleeds, it leads” news cycles, and online grifters, something inside us begins to die like a slow cancer. Empathy, humility, critical thinking skills, and our ability to see one another clearly begin to erode.

There’s an old Native American story about “feeding the right wolf,” and I think there’s truth in that idea.

Love is like a seed.

The enemy starts to look very familiar.

I think this is one of the most important lessons we can teach both children and ourselves. Human beings are flawed. We all have cognitive biases, and we are easily manipulated, especially when we’re scared. Once we stop using critical thinking skills, they begin to atrophy like a muscle. Other people become easy scapegoats.

The philosopher Immanuel Kant believed morality was not based simply on feelings or personal gain, but on our duty to recognize the humanity and dignity of others. One of his most famous ideas was that we should never treat people merely as tools, but as human beings with inherent worth.

That principle feels especially important right now.

Because whatever we water eventually grows.