Our Children, Our Greatest Teachers
"Learning is finding out what you already know, Doing is demonstrating that you know it, Teaching is reminding others that they know it as well as you do. We are all learners, doers, and teachers." Richard Bach
How many times have you heard it or said it or questioned it; our kids are our greatest teachers in life? Don’t you think that it is true? Have you said it? If you have thought it, said it or even given the question more than a fleeting moment of observation, doesn't it make sense that our kids have been our greatest teachers?
Didn't they make you question everything you ever read or heard about being a parent?
Didn't they make you question what you knew or learned about parenting?
Didn't they make you research information time and time again, not only to answer their questions but to prepare for them?
Didn't your children remind you of many of the wonders of life that you forgot as a result of your “growing up”?
Didn't they give you new eyes to view the world? (Or at least remind you of the ones you used to possess?)
Didn't they “keep you on your toes” about family members, neighbors and other people in your community?
Didn't they test your abilities, strengths, characteristics, beliefs, knowledge and memory?
Didn't they teach you the most about what is really important in life?
Didn't they teach you the importance of honing your memory to remember all of their childhood memories?
Weren't they the best encouragement for you to be the best role model for them to emulate?
Didn't you learn more about life and love from them than anyone else in your life?
Didn't they break your heart, test your heart and open your heart?
Didn't they teach you about unconditional love?
Wasn't it their birth(s) that tapped into your soul and exposed you to previously unknown/unexplored territory of your heart and soul?
Wasn't it your children who taught you lessons in honesty, responsibility, compassion, caring, helping, sharing, giving, choices, cooperation, growth, kindness, patience, praise, fear, fortitude, sacrifice, practice, courage, … (isn't this list endless?)
So why would you think that their deaths would end this learning or that they would not continue to be your teachers? You still have a relationship with your children. There was a reason why you chose to learn from them. Why would such monumental learning cease as the result of a physical death?
Your children are still with you. We will continue to learn from them. We were wise enough to choose them to learn from in this lifetime. If we are wise enough now, we will allow them to continue teaching us differently, in our physical lives.
We need to change our perspective to open our eyes (differently), to be able to open our hearts (differently) to see our new relationship (differently) to allow our greatest teachers to continue their lesson plans with us.
Theirs and our lessons are not complete…yet.
I have an immense amount of gratitude for my children and my learning from them. Although I often express that appreciation to both of my sons today; I still look forward to the day when I can express my gratitude to Zac for the lessons since his death.
It’s a difficult process to view our children differently after their deaths but gratitude opens new areas to explore and for new life to enter…
I hope this happens on your path… Chris
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