A Passion for Parenting

Week 37 of the Wednesday Lists.
You already know that I am a passionate woman. My list this week is about parenting, about sharing what wisdom I have gained with my daughter. I adore her, as I know you love the children in your life. I think it's vital to pass along our wisdom; to our children, our family, our friends. OK, anyone who will listen. I've written one of these lists before. I found that I had more to tell her.

More Advice

• The world is not necessarily your oyster. I believe in your amazing possibility. Of course I do, but I have lived long enough to know that the one limit everyone shares is this: ALL good things come from hard work. All of them. How hard are you willing to work for what you want?
• Never tell someones else's good news. It robs them of the joy and pleasure in being the center of attention.
• Remember that someone's success does not equal your failure. Be genuinely happy for the success of others. Cheer loudly, throw the party, send the card. Never miss a chance to be gracious.
• Be the star of your own life.
• Look up. And down. You miss so much of the beauty in this world if you are not observant.
• Continue the family habit of counting your blessings. Except for choosing a husband well, nothing will do more to give you a happy life.
• Express appreciation promptly.
• Climb trees and roofs; whatever gets you to a new vantage point. Try to make it a habit of looking at things in a new way.
• Pursue excellence. If it is worth doing, it is worth doing well.
• Be courteous, especially to old people.
• Cherish your friends, but remember that your family are the people who will be in your life thirty years from now.
• Stand up straight. I mean it. Your boobs look bigger and your tummy smaller.
• Say yes more often than no.
• Never miss a chance for a new experience. You will regret what you didn't do far more than what you did. Remember that words are the opposite. You generally regret what you said far more than what you swallowed.
• If someone insults you or hurts your feelings, hush up. Rise above it. You will rarely be glad you spoke in your own defense. This doesn't mean, however, that you have to keep putting yourself in their path.
• If someone insults someone else or hurts their feelings, speak up.
• Defend the weak, help the hopeless, love the unlovely. This is Christ's work in you.

What else would you add?

That precious child is, of course, my Sloane.