Children are a blessing!
While celebrating my daughter’s birthday I was reminded how quickly time flies. Her capacity for love and her joyous attitude towards life never ceases to amaze me. What makes this even more impressive is that both of my kids have endured quite a bit of adversity over the past few years. Their lives have been turned upside down with family tragedies and changes.
I have always believed that children are a gift from God or whatever higher power you choose to believe in. They are here to teach us as much as we are here to guide them. Sometimes it is like looking in a mirror and seeing yourself being reflected through their actions, attitudes, etc. In other cases, you enter the wondrous world of their own individuality. My hope has always been that they will take the best from their mother and me and leave our flaws behind for us to grapple with on our own.
Every parent feels the same when it comes to protecting their children from the big cruel world. Unfortunately, protecting them is impossible and kids are destined to learn painful but valuable lessons on their own. I believe it’s even more humbling and disappointing when we as parents become the source of these difficult experiences. In the end, I guess all we can do is our best to always act out of true love and a sense of genuine responsibility.
The good news is that we all can grow through the family experience. My daughter and son have been a great motivation for me to strive to become a better person. Here are some basic lessons I continue to learn from them:
- People will normally give you the benefit of the doubt if you let them
- A smile can be infectious and usually solicits a favorable response from others
- Learning is an ongoing and daily process if you keep asking questions and don’t pretend to know things you don’t
- Life is full of endless possibilities if you don’t box yourself in with self-limiting beliefs
- It’s important to make fun a part of every day; don’t take yourself so seriously that you can’t be silly sometimes
- Friendship is a key ingredient to happiness and critical to on-going social development
- Be honest about how you are feeling and talk about it
- Try to forgive quickly and never hold a long-term grudge if you can help it
- Ask for a hug when you need one and offer them up generously
- Pay attention to what people do, not what they say, and hold them accountable when they commit to something
- There are no “throw away” comments when some else’s emotions are involved
- The important people in your life should be treated like they matter to you
I am fortunate that I have been blessed with two individuals in my life that make me want to be a better person and who stand by me even when I stumble and fall short. I wake up every day knowing that there are people who depend on me. To them I am a role model and a guide on how to behave and live a good life. I never thought I’d learn so much from them, and for this I am eternally grateful.
Related articles
- Concern For Our Kids (capacity-building.com)
- Letter to a New Parent (puzzlepeacecounseling.wordpress.com)
- Lessons I Learned About Parenting From My Mom (littleleadersassoc.wordpress.com)
- I Never Knew (jbournesblog.wordpress.com)
- Why Optimistic Parenting Is A Must As Kids Develop In This Day And Age (jaysdad.com)
- Count Your Blessings (capacity-building.com)
- Advice from a Mom to Her Daughter: Life Lessons for My Baby Girl | Babble (babble.com)