Wise Words

A Parent's Prayer
Anonymous

Help me give my children the best not of trappings or toys,
but of myself, cherishing them on good days and bad,
theirs and mine.

Teach me to accept them for who they are, not for what they do;
to listen to what they say, if only so they will listen to me;
to encourage their goals, not mine;
and please, let me laugh with them and be silly.

Let me give them a home where respect is the cornerstone,
integrity the foundation,
and there is enough happiness to raise the roof.

May I give them the courage to be true to themselves;
the independence to take care of themselves
and the faith to believe in a power much greater than their own.

See that I discipline my children without demeaning them,
demand good manners without forgetting my own
and let them know they have limitless love,
no matter what they do.

Let me feed them properly, clothe them adequately and have enough to give
them small allowances...
not for the work they do but the pleasure they bring...
and let me be moderate in all these things,
so the joy of getting will help them discover the joy of giving.

This is an elegant summary of what we hope to be able to provide all of our children.
We know we will not be perfect parents, but we will do our best to be praying parents.
We may not be wealthy, but we will always remember that we are rich. Because being rich is a state of mind. We will do our best to always point our children to be aware and thankful of all the good things we have rather than what we or they have not.