What I Want For My Kids...

What I want to teach my children, more than anything else, is an appreciation for their life. Most parents want their kids to "have a better life" than they did - not me. I know that it doesn't always work that way. Life isn't always an up-slope. Look around and you'll see folks who are hurting...big time. Do you think they started out there? Did their parents want this for them? Did their wanting make a difference? No. There is a distinct possibility that my kids will face challenges in their life and struggle thru things that I never did. If they simply appreciate what they have, they'll be better off than a large portion of those around them. Even the ones that "have more" than they do.

This is the trap of comparison and that's the very thing that I want to help them avoid. All too often, people are so wrapped up in making a better life for themselves that they forget to appreciate the one they're currently living. Or they spend more time focused on the delta between their things and someone else's things without allowing themselves to appreciate their current state. I'm not saying I want my kids to be some slacker, or lazy ass but rather that they be present and appreciate the now and what has been provided for them; what they have right now! And be aware of the fact that there are people out there much worse off than they are.