Thursday, September 1, 2016

Values


I’ve been thinking about how we tend to expose our kids to the things that we’re most interested in. That we let them in on our own rituals in hopes that they’ll like them too, that they’ll see something of value in the things we value.

We take Luca on hikes and outdoors because John loves those things. We hope he sees the value in nature, in simple, in quiet. That long walks with the people that matter most to you, matter.

We take him to the bookstore and the library because those are two places I love the most. We sift through books on trucks and trains and then sit and drink an iced tea, an apple juice. We hope he sees the value in words, in learning, in opening yourself up to new things. That reading is a way to discover the world, and yourself.

We spend time with family, sitting at the table for long, slow stretches whenever we can. We hope he sees the value in connection and conversation. That you’ll never get lost if you know where you came from.

We look for ways to travel, sometimes across the country and other times just to that park a couple of towns over. We hope he sees the value in choosing the adventure, in going for the experience. That there’s so much to see and it’s so much bigger than you.

We—all three of us—are at the start of this, to be sure. There will be so many values—kindness and empathy, forgiveness and understanding—that we’ll teach and talk about. So many rituals that we’ll try out and pass down. And throughout, we’ll read books and walks through the woods, picking up all the sticks and rocks we find along the way.  


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