How would you answer this? Most times I would just say that I want them to be good people. I want them to be happy and “successful.” But I have difficulty defining success. Is it their grades, their sports, how much money we have or maybe the way they are with their friends and family? What does “success” mean?
Here’s my favorite “lesson” on this subject. Even if you’ve read it before, it bears repeating:
Ten mothers sat in a coffee shop and talked about all the things they wanted for their kids.
The first mother said, “I wish I could give my kids lots of money so they could have everything they want and be financially free.”
The second mother said, “I wish I could give my kids knowledge to help them succeed in life. Learning is the way to growth and knowledge is the key to success.”
The third mother said, “I wish I could give my kids wonderful friends to keep them company for the rest of their lives.”
The fourth mother said, “I wish I could give my kids strength to overcome all the difficulties in life.”
The fifth mother said, “I wish I could give my kids compassion and kindness towards themselves and towards others, for compassion and kindness bring all people together and make us one.”
The sixth mother said, “I wish I could give my kids acceptance to help them flow with the stream of life and lead them to spirituality.”
The seventh mother said, “I wish that I could give my kids gratitude for all that the universe has to offer them.”
The eighth mother said, “I wish I could give my kids perfect health so they can experience the world with all their senses.”
The ninth mother said, “I wish I could give my kids love. Love is everything and love is the answer to all.”
The tenth mother said, “I want to give my kids happiness that can lead them to financial freedom, knowledge, friendship, strength, compassion and kindness. A happy, positive mindset will lead them to acceptance, gratitude, health and love, for happiness is the ultimate state of bliss and happy thoughts are the way to get there.”
So, I’ve been asking myself, am I doing the right thing by my children? Am I giving them too much on the front end so they won’t appreciate it when it’s their turn to earn it? Will they find that inner peace and happiness that’s so critical in life?
What do you want for your children? Good question to ponder on this Sunday morning.
Have a great day!
theyearof50 