My wishlist for my daughter
This is something I had posted on my geocities blog. With Mother's Day nearing, my thoughts turn to my daughter and all the things I wish to teach her as she grows up:
I have a wish list for Makayla that includes things from socks to baby carriers. I periodically check things off the list as each "wish" is fulfilled and I also add items as I discover a new need (or, more accurately, a new "want"). Bob thinks that these wishes are more for my benefit and satisfaction than for our daughter because he thinks she's too young to appreciate that she's riding around in the best umbrella stroller or the trendiest carrier. This may be true but I only want her to have the best of everything because I feel she deserves it. At the same time, I fear creating a little monster, not unlike the screaming children you see on the Dr. Phil show, who turn their noses at anything not labeled by a haute couture designer. I fear that I am indirectly and unintentionally imparting false values to my daughter, that I am teaching her that she is only as good as the goods that she possesses. While I still strive to provide for her the only best things in life, I also have a wish list that contain values and ideals, not things. Here is what I wish for my daughter:
1. I wish for her to retain the child's sense of wonder and curiousity. I wish for her never to become jaded or angry at the world but to see it as an adventure waiting to be discovered. I wish for her the desire to know.
2. I wish for her empathy for others. I wish she will treat others as she wants to be treated and to remember that the most fundamental human need is the need to feel important and appreciated.
3. I wish for her obstacles to overcome so she can learn the value of hard work and the satisfaction of reaching a goal.
4. I wish for her humility. I wish for her the ability to see others as equal, not inferior, to her. I wish for her the ability to know the difference between pride and arrogance. I wish for her to be proud of her accomplishments but to never see herself as superior to others by virtue of those accomplishments.
5. I wish for her compassion and the desire to help those less fortunate than herself. I wish that she measures the worth of another not by the size of their bank accounts but their character.
6. I wish for her the ability to delay gratification and a silent patience to forego transient satisfaction today for permanent contentment tomorrow. I wish for her to know that nothing worth having ever comes easy.
7. I wish for her a life full of laughter and love. If she has these two things, she will not want for much else.
When I look into my baby girl's eyes, I know that I never want her to want for anything. But I know that I would be doing my daughter a major disservice if I merely catered to her every want and whim. I know that I have a duty to ensure that she develops into a contributing member of society, with strong morals and character. I take that duty very seriously and pray every day that I am capable of guiding her in the right direction.
I have a wish list for Makayla that includes things from socks to baby carriers. I periodically check things off the list as each "wish" is fulfilled and I also add items as I discover a new need (or, more accurately, a new "want"). Bob thinks that these wishes are more for my benefit and satisfaction than for our daughter because he thinks she's too young to appreciate that she's riding around in the best umbrella stroller or the trendiest carrier. This may be true but I only want her to have the best of everything because I feel she deserves it. At the same time, I fear creating a little monster, not unlike the screaming children you see on the Dr. Phil show, who turn their noses at anything not labeled by a haute couture designer. I fear that I am indirectly and unintentionally imparting false values to my daughter, that I am teaching her that she is only as good as the goods that she possesses. While I still strive to provide for her the only best things in life, I also have a wish list that contain values and ideals, not things. Here is what I wish for my daughter:
1. I wish for her to retain the child's sense of wonder and curiousity. I wish for her never to become jaded or angry at the world but to see it as an adventure waiting to be discovered. I wish for her the desire to know.
2. I wish for her empathy for others. I wish she will treat others as she wants to be treated and to remember that the most fundamental human need is the need to feel important and appreciated.
3. I wish for her obstacles to overcome so she can learn the value of hard work and the satisfaction of reaching a goal.
4. I wish for her humility. I wish for her the ability to see others as equal, not inferior, to her. I wish for her the ability to know the difference between pride and arrogance. I wish for her to be proud of her accomplishments but to never see herself as superior to others by virtue of those accomplishments.
5. I wish for her compassion and the desire to help those less fortunate than herself. I wish that she measures the worth of another not by the size of their bank accounts but their character.
6. I wish for her the ability to delay gratification and a silent patience to forego transient satisfaction today for permanent contentment tomorrow. I wish for her to know that nothing worth having ever comes easy.
7. I wish for her a life full of laughter and love. If she has these two things, she will not want for much else.
When I look into my baby girl's eyes, I know that I never want her to want for anything. But I know that I would be doing my daughter a major disservice if I merely catered to her every want and whim. I know that I have a duty to ensure that she develops into a contributing member of society, with strong morals and character. I take that duty very seriously and pray every day that I am capable of guiding her in the right direction.
posted by Margie at 8:41 PM
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