Honoring the Angels

 Help me to respect children

as whole and wise beings.

Through them I will remember

my own innocence.

Alan Cohen

Excerpt from A DEEP BREATH OF LIFE by Alan Cohen:

When a child is born in Bali, its feet are not allowed to touch the earth for the first 105 days of life.  The Balinese regard their children as angels from heaven, and they do not want them to be shocked by contact with the heaviness of the world.  Every Balinese child is constantly held until almost four months of age.  Then, a colorful ceremony is held at which the child's feet are placed upon the earth, with prayers and blessings.

In our culture, we need to remember to honor our children as spiritual beings.  We all come from heaven, and the transition to earth is not easy for anyone.  We must give our children the opportunity to retain their spiritual identity for as long as possible.

Many children are extremely psychic and spiritual, as you may have been.  They voice the wisdom of old and wise souls; some report memories of past lives, talk to invisible friends, play with nature spirits, have premonitions, and recount contact with departed relatives.  Many are quite sensitive to the energies in their environment, feeling touched and healed by loving people and events, and jarred by violence in thought or deed.

We must give our children the best possible atmosphere in which to start their journey.  Let them be spiritual beings for as long as they choose; do not force them to trade their heritage for our cultural idea of education.  The best gift we can give our children is to draw forth that which they already are. 

 (All above content from A BREATH OF LIFE by Alan Cohen)