Raking, Kids & Insulating....

I have a treat for you today...a guest post! My hubby has only written on the blog once in 18 months so when he wrote this yesterday I asked if I could share it. So, enjoy a peak into my hubby's mind... :)

We are spring rakers: as opposed to fall rakers. There really is no advantage to raking in the spring other than putting off the inevitable chore. I only bring this up because I was supervising the children as they raked and filled bags. It got me thinking about the numerous rites of passage we pass to our children. Not that raking is a “rite” per se. It’s just one of many things that usually has to be taught, at least here where leaves fall off the trees (for my Florida friends and family, it’s called Seasons…) It’s right up there with shoveling snow, taking out the trash, cleaning your bedroom, feeding the dog, etc.
Anyway, this got me thinking about the less tangible things that we pass on to the little humans in our lives. Critical thinking, kindness, respect for others, respect for creation, self-respect, self-confidence. These are important skills for dealing with all that life will throw at them. These skills also make for well-balanced human beings who don’t only think of themselves and their own needs. Hopefully, my teenage daughter will enter adult-hood knowing that she is strong, capable and deserving of as much respect as she is willing to show others. My boys will hopefully grow to be young men who devote their lives to more than pursuing what young boys are wont to pursue. So this question comes to mind: To insulate or not to insulate?

I’m not talking about shielding their little eyes from scary movies (which they already know are made-up stories. i.e critical thinking…) I’m not talking about shielding their ears from silly sounding words that mean nothing but make the speakers sound like they don’t have enough intelligence to think of another adjective. (i.e. self-respect) I catch myself sometimes telling my children to cling to one another because they will always need each other. Friends will come and go, but family is forever. Lately I’m beginning to think that this may not be entirely true. Well, it’s true enough, but perhaps it’s not the whole story. Do I really want my kids to have the view of “us against the world”? The answer is “no, I don’t”. Sure, I want them to watch out for each other and to protect and support each other. But not to the exclusion of anyone around them that may need the same support and kindness…in a word, grace.

My goal as a parent is not that my children will never want to venture into the world on their own, rather that they will know without doubt that whatever they do they can do it with the confidence that there is a place they can always return for encouragement and help. My hope is that their world grows smaller as their world-view expands. I hope they grow to understand that America is a wonderful place to have been born, but the universe does not revolve around this young country. There are many other cultures that have more depth and richness than this country has to offer. I hope my children learn to view these other cultures as valuable and valid, even if they don’t fully embrace the same ideals.
In short, I want my children to grow up to be open-minded, gracious, intelligent people that are leaders and free-thinkers, not blind followers; not insular, self-focused consumers of Amero-centric hedonism.
All of that from raking leaves. You should hear what goes on in my head when they set the table for dinner…