I believe that in striving to be a “good enough” parent, sometimes the best we can do is make sure our intentions are visible in our actions. What I hope for my children is that they possess an inquisitive mind, a tender heart, a strong moral intuition, a sense of personal responsibility, and the capacity to endure disappointment. If that’s what I want for them, I need to make sure they see those qualities in me, consistently, daily, over the course of years through all the normal, routine activities of family living and growing up.
The Certainty Factor
In matters of personal growth and relationships, I learned long ago that these were neither simple nor certain. Beware of the politician, minister, salesperson, or friend who starts a sentence with, “It’s really quite simple.” Unless it’s a game of Trivial Pursuit, they are probably promoting their opinion, not truth. Ambiguity, uncertainty, deliberation, and thoughtful timing are more often the realities of our lives.