Rules and parenting go hand in hand and all too often conversations on rules can easily sound like a sermon or a warning. As children get older they get very good at seeing one of these conversations coming and they tune us out. They have heard it before—and often they have heard it multiple times. One antidote to this dilemma is to use a story to deliver a message. A story can jump-start a conversation on a topic that becomes a genuine exchange of ideas rather than a list of do’s and don’ts.
A recent article in the NYT, “Time, Distance, And Clarity” http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/opinion/bruni-homecomings-and-regrets.html brought this home to me when I read “ You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” Appreciating the day-to-day little things right in front of you is a life skill. All too often, we pass by the special, memorable little things with the thought that we will “take it in” later… when we have more time. The truth is that “later” morphs into “not happening.”
Adults can learn from children who live in the moment. The Way To Start a Day by Byrd Baylor is a book that shows how the every day activity of greeting a new day can become a sacred activity. Taking each day for granted or welcoming each day is a choice we all make. Through few words and pictures, The Way To Start a Day show people all over the world greeting a new day with in their own unique way.
It is a book for young and old and might just be the book to get us all back on track for appreciating the moment.
