Wednesday, February 22, 2012

BLAME YOUR DAD

That's me, don't I look like a grandpa?  I am starting this blog because my son asked me to write a letter to my grandkids that would tell them "What I would like them to know about me and what about life do I want them to know?"  Both parts of the question are more challenging than I expected, so I have decided to try the blog/journal format so I can add to and possibly change what I say over time.  Since this is a public forum, most readers (if there are any) wouldn't be interested in the "What I want them to know about me"  part, so I'm not going to spend time here on that unless I think it will help explain my response to the second part.  I do believe that "What I would like them to know about life" is the basis for some interesting rumination.  I hope that there will be some readers who will offer their own thoughts on the subject.

So, Scarlett, Wyatt and Belle, here are my thoughts on what I think you should know about life.

LIFE IS GOOD!  Believe that with your whole heart.  Be good!  Life is better if you are a positive participant, adding to it not taking away from it.  Being good doesn't just mean obeying your parents and teachers or the law or even the ten commandments.  It means helping when you can help, giving when you can give, sharing when you can share, loving when you can love.  Do these things and I guarantee you will enjoy your life.

SOMEBODY ELSE SAID IT BETTER.  Any ideas I try to pass on to you, I got from somewhere.  Someone said it; someone wrote it; so listen, and read.  Then think about what you have heard and read.  Roll it around in your mind until it makes sense to You.  Read The Prophet by Khalil Gibran; read Everything I Need to Know I learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum; read everything by Dr. Seuss.  Read the opinions of people you don’t agree with.  And then think about why you disagree with them.  Then think about why they might be right and you might be wrong.  Think about why you might be right and they might be wrong.  Think.

That's a start.  I'll try to add more over time.


2 comments:

  1. Okay! Here I am - at square one!
    I think you must be a terrific father to have a son who requests that you pass your personal story and the wisdom that goes with it to his children.
    I also think that what you write will endure over many generations - not just the next one!

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  2. This is a wonderful start and I do hope you continue to share with them -- and with us. There are so few grandfathers that blog and I love seeing things from your perspective.

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