The Greatest Love of All
This morning, many of my friends were posting notes on Facebook about their children heading out on their first day of school. In the United States, children return to school at different times depending on what region of the country they live in. Today was one of the main dates for the start of school. It prompted the memory of Whitney Houston's song Greatest Love of All. You know, the whole "I believe the children are our future."
As a young boy, I loved the first day of school. It held such promise. I still felt I could be whoever I wanted to be. I could dress however I chose to dress. I could surely get straight A's. Of course the truth is, I probably acted pretty much the same as the prior year, dressed similar to my friends, and straight A's? That hope faded with my first homework assignment. Yet, the first day of school is a day of hope and one of the few days of the year when we and our kids probably agree on something. It is a day when we as parents imagine the very best for our kids, and they do as well.
For those whose children began their school-year this morning, congratulations. Please continue to take an active role in your children's education. Push them to be their best without reliving your childhood desires through them. Encourage them to try new things, whether that be school clubs, athletics, community artistic activities, or courses they might not normally take an interest in. Expose them to as much as possible so they have the a broad set of experiences from which to make decisions about their futures.
Consider using today's positive energy to remind yourself of who you wanted to be at their age. Not necessarily the job, but the person you hoped you would become. If you aren't that person, today's as good a day as any to start moving in that direction. Our children watch us, even when we don't think they're watching. Even if they tell you they don't want to be like you when they grow up, chances are they will be very much like you. So if you don't like who you are, and you don't want them to be like the person you have become, change it. If not for you, for them.
The children truly are our future, but we are the architects of that future as they will follow the example we have set.
Finally to my friends with children in High School and College, stop it! Just stop it! You can't have children that age. You're making me feel old. :).
As a young boy, I loved the first day of school. It held such promise. I still felt I could be whoever I wanted to be. I could dress however I chose to dress. I could surely get straight A's. Of course the truth is, I probably acted pretty much the same as the prior year, dressed similar to my friends, and straight A's? That hope faded with my first homework assignment. Yet, the first day of school is a day of hope and one of the few days of the year when we and our kids probably agree on something. It is a day when we as parents imagine the very best for our kids, and they do as well.
For those whose children began their school-year this morning, congratulations. Please continue to take an active role in your children's education. Push them to be their best without reliving your childhood desires through them. Encourage them to try new things, whether that be school clubs, athletics, community artistic activities, or courses they might not normally take an interest in. Expose them to as much as possible so they have the a broad set of experiences from which to make decisions about their futures.
Consider using today's positive energy to remind yourself of who you wanted to be at their age. Not necessarily the job, but the person you hoped you would become. If you aren't that person, today's as good a day as any to start moving in that direction. Our children watch us, even when we don't think they're watching. Even if they tell you they don't want to be like you when they grow up, chances are they will be very much like you. So if you don't like who you are, and you don't want them to be like the person you have become, change it. If not for you, for them.
The children truly are our future, but we are the architects of that future as they will follow the example we have set.
Finally to my friends with children in High School and College, stop it! Just stop it! You can't have children that age. You're making me feel old. :).
I had a commander tell us at his retirement he wished he would have spent more time with the fam while he was on active duty, because in the end, that's what you have left after years of work. Family stays with us...or at least we hope if we haven't made them too mad at us.
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