The Lives We Choose

A number of years ago someone whom I love very much was going through a very rough patch of life. She asked me, "Do I deserve the life I've had?" Without any hesitation I replied, "You didn't get the life you deserved. You got the life you chose." She initially was offended because she thought I was assessing blame, but I really wasn't. I just meant that we get the lives we choose by the decisions that we make throughout our lives. Daily, we make choices........some are good, and some are not so good. As children we begin to make choices when parents permit and sometimes even without their permission. As parents, it is up to us to help our children learn to make good choices. That does not mean life will be perfect for them, but it means that perhaps they will think twice before making a decision that can have life-changing consequences if not immediately then down-the-road. Wanting what they want when they want it, being too young to know that what they want now may not be what they will want one or more years from now, and having little or no adult guidance may very well result in children not getting the lives they deserve but rather the lives they choose. It is never too early to start teaching children how to make good choices. How will you do that?