Parenting is Sacred
Growing up I often heard how important family is. I even heard ministers say you can’t understand God’s loves until you’ve been a parent. (I ache for those who were disenfranchised by this.) Parenting is surely a sacred trust that brings special joys. I’m concerned about the ugly underbelly of thinking parenting makes us superior. It’s a subtle snobbery ‘cuz it’s a good thing tainted. Having kids does not mean you “get” life any better than anyone else. Greater understanding is earned through diligence to honest priorities. You don’t need kids for that! Never let yourself condescend to those who don’t have kids. Maybe parenting has taught you to be a better person, that doesn’t mean it’d do the same for everyone. Leave some room for other life experiences.
Some parents seem really into their children, but upon closer inspection, it’s clearly narcissism. It’s easy to let their successes give us status & thus live focused on them. Yet our kids must never fortify our egos! Parenting that way minimizes them & cheapens us. It falsely inflates our sense of ourselves. There are few worse parental examples than being self-righteous. Nothing should humble us more than our kids. Like a pilot never becomes too comfortable in the air, we gotta stay modest.
Parenting is a sacred charge, not a status upgrade. Heaven save us from forgetting who we are & what the job is. And protect us from the pompous myth that parenting makes us better than others. What make us finer people is dedication & hard work. Healthy parenting makes us properly respectful of others, not better than them. Can I get an Amen from the choir on that, sisters?
Comments
Amen my sweet sista!!
You are amazing. I've always known how smart, funny, lovable and kind you are.....now a TALENTED writer...I may start to feel inferior.
Posted by: Jenny Seib | May 16, 2006 10:23 PM