How are the Children?
How are the Children?
Among the most accomplished and fabled tribes of Africa, no tribe was considered to have warriors more fearsome or more intelligent than the mighty Masai. It is perhaps surprising to learn the traditional greeting that passed between Masai warriors. “Casserian engeri,” means,“How are the children?”
It is still the traditional greeting among the Masai acknowledging the high value that the Masai place on their children’s well being. Even warriors without children of their own would give the traditional answer, “All the children are well.” Meaning of course, that the priorities of protecting the young, the powerless, are in place, and that the Masai society has not forgotten its reason for being, its proper functions and responsibilities.
“All the children are well,” means that life is good. It means that the daily struggles of existence, even among a poor people do not preclude proper care for its young. I wonder how it might affect our consciousness of our own children’s welfare if in our culture we took to greeting each other with this same question, “And how are the children?”
I wonder if we heard that question and passed it along to each other a dozen times a day if it would begin to make a difference in the reality of how children are thought of or cared for in this country? I wonder how it might affect our consciousness of our children’s welfare. I wonder what it would be like if every adult among us—parent and non-parent alike,felt an equal weight for the daily care and protection of all the children in our neighborhood, in our town, in our state, in our country and in our world. I wonder if we could truly say without hesitation, “The children are well, yes, all the children are well.”
What would it be like if the President began every press conference, every public appearance, by answering the question, “And how are the children, Mr. President? If every governor of every state had to answer the same question at every press conference: “And how are the children,Governor? Are they all well?”
Wouldn’t it be interesting?
Next week I will share with you how our children are. Until then I invite you to give the question “How are the children”? consideration.
“How are the Children?” adapted from an anonymous source
