Moral

 I grew up Catholic. It took me some time to grow out of the rigid and dogmatic teachings that limited my spiritual and emotional growth. When I finally discovered what worked best for me within Catholicism, I was left with a strong appreciation of imagery and ritual that entered my art and with a valuable moral compass to navigate the world.

When I see the world now from the perspective as elder, I am concerned that young people are not working their way through a moral framework to build one that will guide their lives. They don’t understand the value of discipline that comes from commitment and suffering. Young people are faced with many challenges that they have not been morally or psychologically prepared for. They are stressed. They are anxious, depressed, sometime suicidal.

A moral compass is not easy to develop or to live by. But in the end, it’s hard to live a meaningful life without one. And this is what we owe young people, who must live in the world we’ve created for them.