Ggids

When I first read about nesting parties, I couldn’t help but think Yeah! They’re a new kind of baby shower, one where instead of gifts people share of themselves.  People may help prepare the nursery, paint, or put together furniture, organize what needs to be done for the baby’s arrival. It requires some thinking on the part of the host, sharing what it is they need. Perhaps it could include other things the new parents will need besides getting the home ready. How easy it would be to say I’ll give you so many hours of babysitting, or I’ll take the baby to the park so you can have a nap. The point is that it’s practical, it’s useful, it answers a need and it makes us more aware of what we have to give as humans. Pinterest now even has ideas for how to host a nesting party. If the trend continues, why not use it for wedding showers, or even birthday parties?

Giselle Pelicot stood up to evil and won. We’ve heard a lot about her recently letting us know how courageous she’s been after being drugged by her husband for over nine years and being raped by some 70 men whom he had recruited online for just this purpose. She has, we are told, become a feminist icon. Indeed, she is so dignified, articulate, so clear about what she says and what she went through.

 The way I understand her experience is perhaps simpler. No matter how we understand evil, what her husband did fits the definition. She stood up to evil, and in standing up to that evil and in her sharing it, she shows us how to confront it and win. Likely the evil we will have to fight is different than hers, or likely come from another source, still, we can extrapolate how to stand up to it

• We bring it out in the open regardless of consequences
• We confront it boldly and without rose colored glasses
• We stand up to it fearlessly
• We remain unbowed knowing we are in the right
• We redeem it by taking away its power over us

And Giselle Pelicot does one more thing, she highlights the fact that like Rosa Parks before her, ordinary people can and do stand up to evil and win.

Gen Alpha, those who are 10 to 24 years old, shy away from fame and popularity. Rather they value kindness and being safe. These are the findings of a recently published study conducted by UCLA’s Center for Scholars and Storytellers. The study suggests that in a world full of uncertainties, conflicts and potential for chaos, the younger generation aims to remain grounded. Their key takeaways:

• Feeling safe is fundamental
• Kindness and empathy are crucial particularly in a polarized world
• Self-acceptance is a priority and media can help with that
• Fun is more than entertainment, but part of  mechanisms to cope and connect

What is noteworthy is that they had options to choose good looks and changing the world, and they chose kindness and empathy.

It seems the young are reminding us to think, rethink or affirm what is important.