To feel so very sad

[Ldo]

Sorry for depressing tome, but tucking my wide eyed 4yo DS into bed, I thought about what kind of a world he will grow up in , where people inflict such horrors on others , and felt so incredibly sad. We bring our children up to see the world as a hopeful, exciting, limitless place where you can be anyone , go anywhere . But I wonder how society will be shaped on the next generation by fear and violence.
As I said, sorry to be so depressing , just feel so sad.

When I was born there were endless adverts telling my parents how to dispose of a body in a nuclear stack, AIDS was terrifying and thatcher was at war with the miners.

Things work out. Historically things get better, not worse. He'll be all right :)

It was ever thus. I grew up thinking we were all about to be blown up by a nuclear bomb at any minute. I know that's still a possibility but I don't feel the same ever present threat like in the eighties. Same shit, different decade.

I understand your sadness, and often feel it too. But when I do, I try to remember all the good things and good people that are here in magnitude on a much greater scale than the bad things.
The natural world is full of wonder and it's important to try and take stock and really try to see it. The moments we share with loved ones whether it be a wise word, a giggle with friends, or a special smile and cuddle from a loved child, partner or parent make me believe in more than a world of sadness and violence. And the people who devote their lives in some way or other to the greater good of others and mankind in general. They do exist and their daily achievements are sadly not made known to us and we easily forget the 'little' things.
I have to believe there are more of us breeding love, patience and tolerance to others, than that of fear and violence and therefore fear and violence will not shape future generations.

Reassuring replies , thank you . I guess I feel overwhelmed by the sheer unpredictability of our society, I could be caught up in a terrorist attack tomorrow. I sometimes think that I should spend every minute embracing my children and telling them I love them rather than shouting at them to brush their teeth....
I think recent events just remind me how vulnerable we all are when there are people with guns, knives and bombs who do not have any respect for beautiful life.

When my 26 year old ds was born Kuwait was huge on the news and every time it came on l cried as l felt l couldn't protect my little baby in this cruel horrible world. He has had a perfectly peaceful life to date with the most invasion coming from mad friends on mad nights out. Try and live for the moment and keep those thoughts from running away in all directions. I had to do that in a very definite way.

No one tells you about this before you become a parent! It can be very overwhelming and anxiety making but we just have to keep putting it into perspective, for their sake.

I totally get it and feel the same sometimes. Then I remind myself that I grew up in Northern Ireland. The threat of violence and terrorism was very real, I lost family members in horrible ways.

I think every generation has things to be scared of. Unfortunately it's nothing new. But I am happy and healthy and the world is still turning.

None of these threats to humanity are new - they have all been around in different forms since time began...illness (even simple things like flu many years ago), war, terrorism, shootings. The difference is we now have so much access to the details, to see people's reactions on social media and to really understand all of the threats in the world.

It's terrifying I agree, and I am fearful for what my children may witness in the future. But you have to try and keep it all in perspective

My father was born towards the end of WW2, and my gran thought the same things as you OP.

I was 37wks pregnant with DC2 when 9/11 happened. I was terrified and sat up all night watching the news convinced the world was about to end.

I have days where I just can't read the news, but most of the time you just focus on the good things in life. There are lots of positives in life, if you choose not to dwell on the negatives - especially the ones you can't control.

There has huge progress in humanity, extreme poverty in particular is dropping so quickly across the world. In many ways this is the best time there has ever been to be born. I try not to think about climate change though...

Yes i feel like this often op. Its sad.
Some of the posters on here are reassuring

When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping."
Fred Rogerss*
This thread made me think of this quote, helps to keep things in perspective I think

Thing is, it matters not what era anyone was born in, there will always be scary/threatening things going on in the world around us. Whether that be WW1/2, Industrial riots, IRA, Gulf War, 9/11, 7/7 etc etc.

We cannot shield our children from them but neither can we worry to such a degree that we forget all the wonderful things about life and humanity. To worry is to use energy uselessly. Use it usefully and wonder at all the good

June, that's strangely lovely

No I understand. So many things make me despair, but then I have to try and think of all the kindness there is as well and it keeps me sane
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There are so many awful things in the world but so much kindness too, and it's the little random acts of kindness you have to look for and give back too.

But there are some things I always feel sick over. One of them is that Winnie Johnson, mother of Keith Bennett, who was killed by Myra Hindley and Ian Brady, died never knowing where Keith was buried on the Moors. When she died, Keiths glasses were put in the coffin with her. That always fills me with such sadness. And the 2 young men that were thrown off of Hungerford Bridge in the Thames by a gang of teenagers, some of whom were only 14 years old FFS. One of the young men died and I often think of his mum. Sorry if I've made this more depressing. You just have to keep looking for the kindness.