It Takes a Village

Parenting, the art and skill of raising a child to adulthood, brings its demands and its rewards. It requires patience, insight and wisdom. It also demands that we dare to take decisions the world does not like so much. At the end of the trail we would like to see an other generation taking care of the future generations and taking care of the environment previous generations left behind.
Parenting should be preparing the future generations to be strong and willing to continue the road to a better world, where others might live in unison, healthy, with a strong sense of self and the ability to connect with others in a way which is meaningful for them.

Haul Water, Chop Wood

Parenting, as I see it, is the art and skill of raising a child to adulthood, in which they arrive well-adjusted, healthy, with a strong sense of self and the ability to connect with others in a way which is meaningful for them.  Perhaps this is the mission statement of parenthood.

The work of actually realizing this mission, like all missions, is complex, lengthy, and messy.  There’s no manual for doing this correctly.  How could there be when every child is a unique blessing with their own gifts and challenges? It’s not an easy job. It may well be the most difficult thing one does with their life.  It is also touted as one of the most rewarding.

I’m always internally a little cautious when people starting talking about the rewards of parenthood.  Words like “pride” and “legacy” don’t leave me feeling centered in the mission described above.  When I…

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