Remember the moment the doctor or midwife held up your newborn child seconds after he or she was born? New life vibrated from your baby and more joy washed over you than you thought you could handle.
From that moment, life as you knew it would change. The change would bring countless more joys, but it would also bring responsibility, frustration, and sometimes sleeplessness. Being a parent is a double-edged sword. You work to dig your children strong roots, from which they can grow. From those roots come a solid sense of family, moral values, work ethic, and spirituality – all things that will help give your children a path that will, and must lead them away from you.
As your children forge their own path, they hit their own set of bumps in the road. Although the ups and downs are hard to watch, you must not depend on your children’s ups to make you happy. For if you do, you will feel their downs, as well. Living your life this way is like sitting in a car that’s attached to your child’s car on his or her roller coaster ride of life. Trust me, you have your own ride to maneuver. Trying to maneuver your children’s ride, as well as your own, will do nothing but derail you.
So how do you detach your cart from your children’s roller coaster ride of life and still love them?
Be happy or sad for your children, not because of them.
How are you handling your children’s ups and downs? How do you avoid derailment?
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