Nana...are faeries real?

    There are many stories that cause one to ponder Myths, Legends  & Folklore, do you believe?
Leprechauns, Troupin Faeries, Ghosts,Vampires, Werewolves & Witches, they trigger our imagination and make us wonder...are they real?
    To believe in these mythical creatures we must believe in something we cannot see. In todays society the notion that you can believe in something that you can't see is almost obsolete so when my 7 year old granddaughter asked me, "Nana, are faeries real? I haven't seen one", (her friend had told her faeries weren't real because you can't see them). I thought for a moment before answering.
 "Baby,just because you can't see something doesn't mean it isn't real. I believe in faeries . Different people have different beliefs".
She smiled a big beautiful smile and replied, "Then I believe too Nana". She has complete faith in me as do all children have faith in the one's who love and care for them. They trust and beleive that the grownups in their lives will always have their best interest in mind.
    This simple conversation really helped me understand a little more clearly how our general population is being taught early on to not believe in things that we cannot see right in front of us.  There must be undeniable physical proof or it doesn't exist or didn't happen. Most of us have talked to their children about Santa Claus and the tooth faery until they reach a "certain age" then the myth is disspelled as something only little kids believe in.
    Case in point, the high profile case involving the death of a child. I watched the media coverage of the trial and while I did not expect the murder 1 or even 2 conviction I did expect her to be convicted of manslaughter. I was completely shocked when she was declared not guilty of that charged as well.  I couldn't understand. Reasonings..."no proof of who, where, why". How could the jury not see that even if it was not murder it was neglect that resulted in the death of a child? As a mother I cannot understand how another mother could "block out the death of a child as if they didn't exist" even if a trauma occured in thier childhood. I can't fault the jury for their decision. They had to be nervous being selected on such a high profile case involving a young mother accused of murdering her child in such as callous way. The seed of doubt was planted when the defense came out with their opening statement including alleged sexual abuse within the home. Whew they must have thought, a reason. It is much easier to vilify a middle aged man than to beleive that a mother, a seemingly loving mother could commit such a henious crime against her own child. Then given a 26 page document detailing how they needed to arrive at their decision, that they must have absolute proof of guilt beyond any reasonable doubt or they must return a not guilty verdict. Thus here we are... in disbelief...she was released. But what was she released to? A world that hates her? Media that relentlessly pursues her?  Her "celebrity" status may be her ultimate imprisonment. No peace, no friends and isolation from family. Karma has a way of coming back threefold. The lightening strike at the remains site on the day of the verdict and then the lightening strike at the county jail on the eve of this mom's release....interesting..I choose to believe that this is "proof" that it will handled by a higher power.
    The death of this little girl has brought awareness to the thousands that are killed or injured each year due to neglect or abuse. Now there is going to be a law that will make it a felony to not report a death within 1 hour and you must report a child missing with 24 hrs.  I thought   YEAH!  something positive came out of this tragedy.  Then realization and sadness set in.  How sad that our society has "evolved" to the point that it requires a written law to make it a crime to not report a child who is missing or to not report a death.
     Isn't is amazing how a child's innocent question can invoke such profound thoughts. I as well as my daughter will continue to fuel my grandchildren's imagination with stories of leprechauns and faeries so they can learn to believe in things they cannot see thus strengthening their faith to know a higher power exists that in the end there will be a reckoning.