Lessons from the Heart: Insights for Our Children

As parents and step-parents, we are entrusted with the profound responsibility of shaping the minds and hearts of our children, imparting wisdom that will guide them through life's challenges and triumphs. As we look at our own experiences as individuals and as a family, my mother, sister, and I have each pulled together a list of five invaluable pieces of advice we would offer to our children. These insights learned by the results of our own choices and experiences in life are not just words, but the culmination of our journeys, lessons learned, and the love that binds us together as a family.

From Dorcas:

• Make room for God in your life and give him a chance to show you who he is

• Forgive those that don’t deserve it. Do it for yourself. 

• Honor those that came before you. You ride on their sacrifices.

• I love you no matter what and my life is infinitely better because of you. 

• Laugh more. 

From Sylvia:

• I love you more than I love myself. 

• Freedom is in forgiveness. Forgive!

• Whatever you are going through, remember this too shall pass.

• Happiness is a choice. 

• Walk in Grace. 

From Lydia:

• My love is and will always be unconditional.

• None of us are perfect, and that's okay. Have grace for yourself and others.

• Take your work seriously, but don't take yourself too seriously. 

• Cultivate an attitude of gratitude for the blessings in your life, big and small.

• Be Resilient. Life is full of challenges and setbacks, but resilience is the key to overcoming them.

In this crazy journey of parenthood, communication serves as the thread that weaves through the generations, binding us together in a shared legacy of love, guidance, and wisdom. As my mother, sister, and I offer our thoughts to our children, we recognize that our words echo the whispers of our ancestors and the dreams of our descendants. We hope that they can learn from our mistakes and be inspired by our successes, as they grow and become the people that we know they were intended to be.