It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.
Frederick Douglass
We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future…
Franklin D. Roosevelt
The Philosopher’s Corner
There is a philosophy present in the art of parenting children. We dream life forward, yet know the fragile and limited nature of the life we have before us. In having children, Spring emerges from the depths of it’s Winter’s slumber, new life emerges, and the cycle of death and rebirth awakens anew.
Our history is built upon the back of giants. Frederick Douglass knew the grave atrocities that human nature is capable of first hand, when he inspired his generation to stand up for the future of freedom. He inspired others to not only dream, but to create new beginnings that would be realized more than a century later in the civil rights movement. He reminds us that it is our duty to build strong children and to not rely on the psychoanalyst to repair the wrongs done to the broken man or woman who comes to the therapist’s couch.
This philosophy is mirrored by Franklin D. Roosevelt, who reminds us of our duty to build our youth for the future, and not the other way around.
This is the second week of homeschooling my children… and I see an amazing transformation occurring. Even though it is a great deal of work, I see true transformations in the level of anxiety present. My children are less anxious, biting their nails less often, ticking less. No, it is not some nervous disorder, like all children, they dislike the social institution called school, but enjoy the social nature of their daily outings.
However, what I have noticed is that school work is intense, more focused, and I am able to get more done in a timely manner than the 6 to 7 hours they spend at a traditional school setting. In this, I am not putting down the public education system, because its duty is to prepare young people for the future. However, what I am saying, in this time of Great Transition, we need to focus on building a more sustainable lifestyle, not for the sake of the machine that we call the system, but for the sake of the system that we call our family and the values we hold dear.
My children will return to school. However, the values learned in this time of uncertainty will definitely last my lifetime. One thing I have learned during this crisis has been the importance of instilling first hand the values I hold dear into my children whom I love. That is our duty as parents. That is our duty to those higher institutions we hold dear.
Even the Greatest Dreams are Achievable through the Faith We Foster to Take that First Step to Realize Their Potential.
Prayers and blessings for you all. Believe, Achieve, and Advance Confidently in the Direction of Your Dreams!
