Negativity surrounds us, get back to the small things that really make home great.
One of the main reasons that we bought our farm was to escape the realites of the world we live in. To protect our children and create an environment around them where they could thrive and develop with less negative distractions.
Unfortunately our world that is constantly flooding your news feed with negative. “What’s wrong with the next generation?” “What’s wrong with the older generation, they just don’t understand”, “The system is broken” Why this? Why that? It's the democrats fault! It's the republican's fault! Lies, Shootings, Addictions, Illegals, Drugs, Alcohol, Divorce, Relationships... the list goes on and on.
Well, I got some news for you. The answer is not in your news feed. No reporter, celebrity or politician is going to single handedly make America great again. It’s not possible. The task is too large. Now I must say that I prescribe to the thought that America already is great! In fact America is the by far the greatest country in the world. But, if we do not change our thought process I think me may be in danger of loosing what has made and continues to make America so great.
First off it starts at home. I personally believe that if you want to help make America greater then you must first make home greater. By that I mean you make each day greater. That doesn’t mean that you give you kids each and every thing that they want. It means that you give your kids depth, you focus on quality and not quanity. You give them knowledge and understanding, and not through some kind of electronic babysitter. You give them character. You give them patriotism. You give them respect and honor. You give them dignity. You give them attitude and grit. You give them room. Room to try, room to experiment, room to fail, room to recover, room to try again and room to succeed. You build up, not tear down.
You maximize your moments with your children.
Every time you are with your children you have an opportunity to do this. How? You let them get dirty. You let them get wet. What's more valuable? The clothes that your kids are wearing or watching the excitement on their face when they jump in the kiddy pool fully clothed. You teach them to live. You teach them to love. You let them eat watermelon without and fork or knife and ruin a perfectly good tee shirt. You let them hunt for worms to go fishing with. You pick vegetables with them. You work with them. You read with them. You pray with them. When your kids ask to go outside and play something you stop saying “No, I’m too busy”, You talk with them. You teach them. When the national anthem plays you stop what you are doing with them and show respect and honor for our flag and teach your children why. They are smarter then you think, they will understand. You hold the door for an elder in front of them. You don’t take what isn’t yours. Our children can only learn by the example that is set before them.
So ultimately, I guess I’m saying if you want to help keep America great then you got to make home greater and if you want to make home greater then you got to make you greater. Don’t tread water your entire life. Don’t look back on your life with regret and sorrow. Look back on your life with joy that you did your part. Go out there and make some waves and teach you kids to make waves too. Now (disclaimer) I’m not, at all saying that Jess and I have raising kids “all figured out”, because we don’t! We fail everyday. But you know what we don’t do? We don’t give in. We don’t give up. We don’t wavier from our true passion, which is to raise children (and the next generation) who can springboard from where we are in life and do even more and greater things then we have done. So tomorrow be a greater you. Do something to make home a little greater. Do something to make our America a little greater.
“None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.” - Mother Teresa