The power of what we say manifests itself in so many ways...
I have wayyyyyyyyyyyy too many conversations with folks about why some do and others don't...
One of the most frequent ones are about young people...
Which leads me to think of my progeny...my sons and my niece...
They are the coolest people, and my heart soars simply thinking about them...
They, all three were and are a handful in their own ways...
But they are cool people...awesome...
I am often asked how is it possible that my mother, who only has three grandchildren could have such great ones...educated, honorable, in their twenties and no children they can't care for...travelling, soaring, growing...
And I tell them all the standard stuff,
But a lot of it, was what was SPOKEN to them...
And what they were allowed to SPEAK...
We always talked with them, not to them...
We allowed them to have opinions and to voice them, respectfully...
And we said words to them that made them know they were some kind of special...
The Sunday before Christmas I sat at dinner with my husband, my sons and one of my sons girlfriends,
My eldest said, 'Mama was tough, had high standards and would bring it when necessary, BUT, she always,
Listened to us, allowed us to speak and even when she didn't agree with us, she would tell us why. It was never just because she was the parent." I couldn't even speak...
On Christmas day those three young adults and my niece were sitting outside my aunts house...
I walked out to listen, they immediately engaged me, they were talking politics,,,who they were going to vote for and why...we bantered, argued, agreed and disagreed, then we segued to music, I felt honored to be in their presence...and so glad that at twenty-two, twenty-three and twenty-eight they wanted me there...I didn't stay long...but I did not leave without telling them how awesome I knew they were...I loved seeing their faces wreathed in smiles...
So it isn't the only answer, by a long shot...but we can allow words to embrace, to chastise, to correct and to love our children, because simple words, such as I love you, I value you, you are so cool, SPEAKS VOLUMES...leaving young people with a legacy, the world can't change...
Blessings,
angelia
http://www.angeliavmenchan.com/
