I once described my three grown children to someone as successful. But they asked me what did I mean by successful. It was a good question because saying that they were successful really didn’t say much about them. Success is different things to different people. I thought some more and said, “Well, they are loving and accomplished”.
Now this person had a better idea of what I meant. If I had said they were smart and well off that would have told a different story. Both are successes but one description tells more than the other in my mind. If you are loving and accomplished then not much else matters beyond health. But being rich and smart does not guarantee loving and accomplished people (beyond money).
I once asked my aunt how a troubled cousin was doing. She answered that he was doing “good”, which meant he had not been arrested since getting out of jail. Another cousin was “not doing so well” because she had to settle for her second choice of prestigious colleges to attend. I felt much better for the cousin that was “not doing so well” than I did for the cousin who was doing “good”.
Younger children are more difficult to describe because they are developing and changing so fast. They may be whiners for a while but should grow out of it. They could be sweet at 6 months but destructors when they are 11 months old. The teenage years is a whole new world of changing characteristics! But eventually they will be formed into adults with traits developed both biologically and learned. You have a lot of influence on the learned characteristics. Among those are confidence, politeness, responsibility, and caring.
What words best describe your children? I think I’ll stick to ‘loving and accomplished’ as the description for mine. You could ask me why they are loving and accomplished, but is it necessary to get the picture?
Now for the punch line!
What words (really) describe you as a dad?
Now this person had a better idea of what I meant. If I had said they were smart and well off that would have told a different story. Both are successes but one description tells more than the other in my mind. If you are loving and accomplished then not much else matters beyond health. But being rich and smart does not guarantee loving and accomplished people (beyond money).
I once asked my aunt how a troubled cousin was doing. She answered that he was doing “good”, which meant he had not been arrested since getting out of jail. Another cousin was “not doing so well” because she had to settle for her second choice of prestigious colleges to attend. I felt much better for the cousin that was “not doing so well” than I did for the cousin who was doing “good”.
Younger children are more difficult to describe because they are developing and changing so fast. They may be whiners for a while but should grow out of it. They could be sweet at 6 months but destructors when they are 11 months old. The teenage years is a whole new world of changing characteristics! But eventually they will be formed into adults with traits developed both biologically and learned. You have a lot of influence on the learned characteristics. Among those are confidence, politeness, responsibility, and caring.
What words best describe your children? I think I’ll stick to ‘loving and accomplished’ as the description for mine. You could ask me why they are loving and accomplished, but is it necessary to get the picture?
Now for the punch line!
What words (really) describe you as a dad?
