Our next big moment is her baptism on April 28th. Being a cradle-Catholic, this is important to me not just from a religious, but also a community and cultural sense. I grew, for better and worse, in a largely "Catholic" world. I credit the nuns and my community growing up with instilling in me a sense of wonder, awe, and social responsibility. Without seeing others around me that had that type of care for other human beings, I wouldn't be in Christian Ethics today. My parents, however, were my first and most important teachers.
I am finding that it's not so easy to pass on certain values. There is a lot of push back and it's easier to go along with the trend. So here are some basics that Alice is trying to live by,
The Peanut's 5-fold path to enlightenment:
1. Let children be children.
In this competitive world it is too easy to over-stress them and get them involved TOO much. I don't want to have to find a recommendation for my child to get into kindergarten, it's absurd. They are growing and learning beings. They adapt to their environment through play. We will try not to get caught up in the wave of too many activities.
2. Teach Love, Loyalty, and Respect.
It's hard to hurt another human being if you are keeping these values in mind. I think that these three things were highly instilled in Rob and I. We need to pass them on.
3. We, as parents, are learning along with her.
I don't and shouldn't have all the answers. I am not a perfect person and therefor I am not a perfect parent. I am enough for her. I am her mother and her protection, even when I make inevitable mistakes.
4. Humans beings learn more from mistakes than success.
I'm sure some would disagree with me, but looking at my life experience and the experiences of others, all of us learn best when we do something wrong that we have to fix on our own. Sometimes it hurts and sometimes the mistake changes our lives in ways we didn't imagine. The purpose is that we learn and we correct and we live. I don't want her life to be easy, I want her to learn from mistakes so her life can be better than mine.
5. Spending moments together.
Sometimes an entire day will pass by and I curse myself for not living in the moment for Alice. The hundreds of pictures that I've taken can't account for the time that I spend with her, not emotionally or in memory. She is growing so fast, I don't want either of us to blink and miss each other.
Alice at 4 months.
