What is the true cost of war on children, families, loved ones?

As a mother of an adult son, it concerned me when I read that the UK are sending British troops to the Ukraine. Of course, we need to support the Ukraine but I’m glad our troops are training Ukrainian solders rather than being in active combat.

I am very nervous about an escalation in the conflict resulting in more countries becoming involved and our young going to fight in foreign countries.

Is that selfish and wrong of me?

It breaks my heart when I read about Ukrainian solders returning to their families with life affecting injuries or worst still not at all.

Yet as a mother, selfishly I pray my son is not caught up in a wider European war.

We think of the soldiers – but how often do we think of the families trying to live the best life they can in the middle of a battle ground. There are many threats, fears and deaths but yet the families have to find a way to live. Not everybody is able or willing to evacuate to another place and country. Perhaps for the very young or the old in the family, it is too hard or impossible to move out of the way of war.

Suddenly war has dramatically bubbled up unexpectedly between Israel and the Palestinians.

Once again, a conflict is having tragic impacts on children, family and loved ones. Heart breaking stories have been reported on families broken and killed in their homes by the Hamas raid. Yet the bombing on Gaza is equally affecting families.

I find it hard to see what resolution will be found in the Middle East as we sit paused waiting for the next step Israel will take to avenge the attack on their civilians.

Can peace be found in such complex scenarios?

A friend from the Middle East feels the situation between Israel and Gaza is a political manoeuvre and Gaza will be absorbed into Israel. She feels everyday people, who die or are hurt emotionally or physically in the process, are not considered. Coldly they are considered to be acceptable collateral damage. Much wealth will be made for some in re-building Gaza.

I was shocked by her views but it did open my eyes to perhaps wider motivations and forces.

There are some unusual aggressive, disruptive forces in the world at the moment, not just in the hot spots of the Ukraine and the Middle East.

We can feel those forces here in London too.

My belief is that transformation to a better way of living globally will come from the bottom up to the world leaders, forcing them to change their views and ways of behaving.

My belief is we should not allow ourselves to feel helpless in the face of these forces.

You too can help the world situation.

Try the following simple actions to bring good energy into the world which will help to balance the disruptive energy we are currently experiencing.

• Send love to the hotspots in the world for resolution to be achieved by finding a middle path that all can accept. It will help to bring more tolerance and compassion into the world.
• Consciously be your best self with all whom you touch around you. This can even include a stranger you give a smile to as you pass one another in the street.
• Put energy protection around yourself and be safe as you shine your light.

To survive war, it takes a certain amount of resilience but it doesn’t come without a personal cost. To gain more understanding read Menaca Pothalingam’s first hand account of growing up in Sri Lanka, a country which was torn by civil war. She captures the impact on her childhood and her family. She shares the experiences she had and the fear she felt. Yet throughout the book there are messages of strength, hope and always looking forwards rather than backwards.

Read this wonderful book and you will understand more intimately the true impact of war. Perhaps your understanding will help to bring more tolerance and compassion into your place in the world that you call home.

Buy here.

If you have experienced war or the impact of war and would like to share your views, please post a comment.