
Are you familiar with the Care Bear show? The idea of care bear stare has been an interesting and practical way to teach children to send love and prayers to people and situations. A care bear stare is when the Care Bears join together to shine light from their hearts when facing danger or meanness, and through their joined effort are able to dispel the threat. The Care Bear show is great in my opinion because it teaches that, through love, hate and darkness can be dispelled. It is my joy to share two very memorable personal experiences that were positively altered by applying the “Care Bear stare.”
When our kids were young we lived in northern Arizona and often drove the 100 miles to Phoenix. Each time we drove to Phoenix, out in the middle of nowhere, we passed a youth detention center. I would tell my children how the kids in there needed a lot of love because many of them have had difficult lives. For many years, as we drove by the center, each of us would then call out the name of the Care Bear that we pretended to be and radiate love from our hearts to the kids in the center in hopes that the kids would feel the love.
One day, while I was in Phoenix at a training, I got a call telling me that my ex-husband and five children had all been in a serious car accident driving to Phoenix for a soccer tournament. Sadly a young man had worked a double shift and on his way home dozed at the wheel, crossed the median into oncoming traffic hitting my ex-husband and children. The man died instantly, fortunately my family members all survived. Tragically Mark, my former husband, lost his heal through putting the breaks on to save our family, thankfully, none of our children were seriously injured. The police officer, a doctor, and a nurse all remarked how it was a miracle that they all survived. In the 100-mile stretch of their drive the accident had occurred at the exact spot where we had done the “Care Bear stare” for years! A coincidence? Of course there is no way to know, but I believe that the love that we radiated for others over the years, in that spot, was the saving grace for my family.
Another instance of “Care Bear stare” that strengthened my belief in the power of love is one that I have often shared, but would like to share again because I think that it is important. This situation happened years ago when I was a single parent living with my three teenage daughters. We moved into a neighborhood of primarily white two-parent homeowners. We were a mixed family and renters. One neighbor especially despised us and didn’t have a problem showing it; daily, when I took the kids to school, he was out in his yard with a scowl of disapproval on his face. I encouraged the girls to join me in doing the “Care Bear stare” as we passed him waving. They would say, “but mom he hates us, why would we want to wave?” I explained that he didn’t know us, and needed more love in his heart. So for three years, on a regular basis, we did our “Care Bear stare” while waving; always with the same resulting scowl and glare. One day, after years of “Care Bear stare” and waving, he looked up and waved back! It was such a precious moment that I knew, without a doubt, that love does overcome hate. Sometime a lot of love is needed; sometimes our patience is tried, and we are pushed to hate back; but if we can stay on course and continue to love others, here is hope for all of us.
For me, “the Care Bear stare” is another way to send love. Whether we are sending love, positive energy, prayer, or “Care Bear stare,” we are sending positive intentions that all deserve love and goodness.