Friday, May 13, 2005

Teach Your Children

Posted by Hello


I have always loved stories about the "good ol' days" from my folks. Throughout my life there have been times when I have reminded myself of those stories, and they encouraged me to persevere. When we teach our children, we need to share with them what their heritage is - the good and the bad. Let me explain through example.

When my parents were married, they were not Christians. They eloped when my mother was sixteen, and my father was eighteen. My mother married not knowing how to cook, sew, etc., but she did know about determination. Of course, my mother did later learn these skills beautifully. (She even made my and my sister's wedding gowns.)

During the first few months of marriage there were some tense times, as both parents were naive when it came to relationships. After one particularly heated argument, my father decided to leave in anger. My mother quickly grabbed her coat and ran to follow him. When my father asked where she thought she was going, her reply was "wherever you are going; my place is with you." My father decided that if she were going to follow him around, he might as well go back home. I do not know what the argument was about, but what stuck with me was my mother's determination and commitment to keep her vows at all costs.

My mother has told me many such stories that had lessons in them, and many of these I have passed on to my own daughter. There have been, of course, some of my own to add. To me, it's like a mental family quilt that we are passing down as an heirloom. Perhaps you have a mental quilt you need to dust off and share with your children - maybe something as simple as funny sayings your mother used say. Give your children the roots they need for a strong foundation.

2 comments:

Hannah Im said...

What a good story! I just emailed my grandmother asking her to write down some of her memories and send them to me. They will be a treasure for my children and grandchildren.

Mrs. Happy Housewife said...

That's a great story about your mom following your dad. It is really inspiring. That's true commitment.