Recently Hill and I have been discussing how do we best teach our children good principles. How do we teach them to be good, kind people? How do we provide guidance, yet at the same time get out of their way? How do we help them to find deep meaning in a life that can often feel superficial? How can we keep them from joining the crowd of cynics in light of the overwhelming challenges that sometimes come our way?
I came across this advice from The Parent’s Tao Te Ching (a book I haven’t read but look forward to):
“Do not ask your children to strive for extraordinary lives. Such striving may seem admirable, but it is the way of foolishness. Help them instead to find the wonder and the marvel of an ordinary life. Show them the joy of tasting tomatoes, apples, and pears. Show them how to cry when pets and people die. Show them the infinite pleasure in the touch of a hand. And make the ordinary come alive for them. The extraordinary will take care of itself.”