An initiation of tenderness.

What to do when others can't see what they are doing - harming themselves and others? How to deal with the absurdity of it all, the sheer insanity and the dismay? And how to cope with the fear of what it might mean ... How do we respond to friends and family who keep doing what they shouldn't, endangering themselves, their children and probably us all? What is going to happen and how do we stay grounded, experiencing so much unease, sometimes deep upset?

Such is the initiation of tenderness which we must all go through in order to reveal that brighter, clearer version of "us" full of integrity. Our vulnerability and truest emotions are what build our strength and materialise the flame of light yet further. It humbles everyone, opens us up, makes us more honest ... really expressing what we feel without therapising and political correctness ... and allows true bonds of affection to flower even further while we endure the type of difficulty we never thought we would see.

Our sadness about others and what we are about to witness is that crucial step in piercing our own conditioning; shedding artifice and falsity; and taking on a more focused ability to transmute collective shadow, contradiction, pessimism and struggle - thoroughly rooted in trust. We can stand firm despite the wobble in those around us when we demand accountability and the taking of responsibility. And in the process we naturally rewrite political correctness; patronising people instead of truly connecting; social nicety; naive and flimsy beliefs about the nature of humanity; selfishness and cowardice - while guarding against the need to help, save or correct those we deeply love.