Everything That You Can't Run Away From You Just Have To Run Over

Inspiration, talent, intellect, wit, grace and charm--are all better than nothing--but they still are not much. The most important thing is resilience and the willingness to take hard blows and get up and get back in the ring. 

If you have a small child and want to be a good parent there are two things that you should read right away. One is a great article in the April issue of the Atlantic magazine that illustrates the tremendous cost we pay for treating "protection from possible harm" as the highest goal of a good parent.

The second is the advice that Theodore Roosevelt's father gave him after the child's doctor advised that he was a frail child who must always remain far from exhausting activities. (Go and do a bit of research and find it for yourself. it's worth it).

I wince a bit when I read the language that is used with today's fragile children when they are taught something as dangerous as riding a horse. It hurts to read about dealing with the child who has gone through the scarring ordeal of having fallen off of a horse.

I am so happy that my mother had a four step, simple, set of instructions to deal with a crying five year old who had been bucked off of his pony.

1. Get Up.
2. Shut Up.
3. Get On.
4. Go On.

I have a strong predisposition toward seeing dark clouds that seem to escape the view of others. If I had parents that taught me that it was proper to deal with challenges, threats, pain, or even real crisis by hiding, I hate to think how I would have ended up.

The picture above is of my oldest granddaughter. She has not been raised to be weak. Yesterday when I watered the hogs I was not alone. My youngest granddaughter insisted on grabbing the handle of every five gallon bucket that I carried over to the hog pen. Of course, she could not actually tote the bucket, but she was learning how to do so and in three more years I am sure that she will be able to water the hogs without assistance. She turns two years old in a few more days and she has already begun to learn a strong work ethic.

I make my living prosecuting bad kids in court. Although they come from all walks of life, they have many things in common.

One of which is that they were never given the opportunity to feel the pride inherent in overcoming what appeared to be an insurmountable challenge.