Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Let’s Get On with it

Toronto, Ontario

For sure it’s a rare person who will take to Monasticism. I had a serious talk with two people from our community, one in his sixties and the other in her seventies. It was with concern and the verge of alarm that we looked at a list of our youth, now in their late twenties and some entering into their thirties who are not getting married. It has been a red flag flapping for a while in the wind of current trends.

Unmarried folks in our community in North America, are taking their time to tie the knot. There has got to be reasons for the singles to drag their feet and money is not necessarily the object. In general their careers are set and so are their salaries. Then why the long wait? Mistrust? Fear of sharing? Fear of Heartbreak? Fear of responsibility, kids, diapers Etc?

One thing the three of us (elders if you will) realized is something has got to give. Souls are waiting to be born in good families. We need a new generation to teach and to look after and they in turn will look after us. There are the biological pushings of procreation which is natural and needs to be met. After all a full cycle needs to rotate here, otherwise be celibate, be a monk or a nun.

What the three of us were wishing to do was to grab some of our flowers by the shoulders and give a little shake.” Go through the experience!” It won’t all be gloom. Allay some of the fears and take some preparatory courses for marriage. We are not saying to couples to have a dozen kids either and not to be disappointed at a first try with a date. Continue to forge ahead but please, please do something. Dear treasures of youthful beauty and energy. Let’s get on with it and prosper with God-centric families.

There will be rollercoaster rides, no doubt! We thought they were supposed to be fun and adventurous.

This morning I walked through neighbourhoods that were predominately for singles and then those that were predominantly for families. I trekked as far as a children’s playground and then ventured back to the ashram contemplating this dilemma after our discussion. I was also hoping to see the snow melt more quickly if I might use such an analogy.

7 KM