Skip to main content

Parenting

I just read a post on Facebook regarding the dearth of parenting. The poster was describing a scene where two young girls were pelting rocks at some ducks in our little town and how he observed no parents around telling these girls that it was wrong to torture little innocent animals. Within hours, there were 15 responses - all alluding to a lack of parenting that is evident nearly everywhere today.

Stick with me here - because that conversation reminded me of one I'd had recently that might not seem related to parenting at all. It was with my oldest son about his concern about the selfishness of our culture - most recently evident in the Wall Street meltdown. He believes that we are too focused on "Me" and not enough on "We" and if we had a little more focus on the total and just not our part, we would be in a much better place.

Still there?

Okay, here's the cement that will hold this together - those girls pelting little ducks with rocks weren't likely taught, by their parents, that hurting others is wrong. Maybe because the parents weren't around. Maybe because they had to work too many hours and couldn't parent when they got home because they were too tired. Or maybe because they didn't want to spend the time teaching life lessons to their offspring. Or maybe because they didn't want to chastise their little darlings because then the little darlings would cry or wouldn't love them anymore. There could be a whole list of 'maybes' or excuses.

Parenting is selfless. Parenting is all about others and thinking of "We" and rarely "Me". Wall Street attitudes have invaded Main Street living rooms. It doesn't always feel good to do the job of parenting correctly.

But here is where the Glass is Half-Full - parenting is the toughest job you will ever love. The rewards are life-long and infinite.

That's all for today - I've got some parenting to do!

Comments

It's not a popularity contest, but ...

Tough time to be a Pollyanna

Remember when 9/11 was just a date or a number you called in an emergency? Our lives changed dramatically post 9/11. For weeks after that September day, we seemed to walk around in a fog, like the haze that loomed over the now-fallen twin towers. I remember trying to minimize my obsession with the news, trying to keep the three little Piggins away from the enormity of the disaster. Remember when corona was simply a beer best served with a lime wedge? It now and forever will be instead associated with this virus that has upended our world in ways we could never have imagined. This tiny little, microscopic virus has brought the mighty to their knees. It has us quarantined and distancing socially (though I believe we've been doing this emotionally for years) and working from home. As anxiety peaks, our economy tanks. As toilet paper and hand sanitizer flies off the shelves, we are looking for new ways to stock our pantries. A good friend observed, "I never thought I'd...

They just don't get it . . .

If you're anything like me (I know no one wants to readily admit to it but there are people like me) you've come away from recent elections shaking your head and thinking, "They just don't get it . . ." The Sequester - more of the same. If your representative is a Republican, then they have to side with speaker Boehner or if a Democrat they have to side with President Obama. I use the term 'have to side' because in recent years there have been a few politicians that didn't tow the party line (or is it 'toe the party line'?) and they didn't receive financial backing or otherwise in future campaigns from their own party. Seems the parties have more sway than the issues. No matter what happens in an election in recent years, it comes back to party politics. Like a fight - the fighters (in this case our representatives) retreat to their corners where 'experts' and advisers whisper sweet motivations in their ears and the fighters c...

Roll out the barrel

It seems appropriate, in a strange-only in my head-sort of way, and keeping with my theme recently of rolling, that the song playing in my head lately is  "Roll out the barrel . . ." As I've been rolling lately instead of walking, I seem to have added to my girth and it has landed, like a big ole roll around my mid-section. It's happened gradually over the last year and I attempted to: 1)   Deny and/or; 2)   Cover and/or; 3)   Exercise and/or; 4)   Change my diet. Well, the "And/Or Plan" wasn't working because my waist kept expanding and with that expansion my motivation (which is minimal on a good day!) was dwindling. So, with a roll around my midsection and "Roll out the barrel" playing in my head, I rolled into Weight Watchers three weeks ago. I had weighed myself at home and the number on that scale was sad - but I guess I should have had my glasses on when looking because the scale at WW showed me a number th...