Dear daughter..!
Robert Clements
Monday, May 21, 2012 - My daughter leaves tonight for America. Maybe that’s what puts me in such a nostalgic frame of mind. I think of days gone by; memories of changing nappies, springing awake in the night with piercing scream ringing in my ears, teaching her to act on stage, to speak in public and I wonder whether I was good enough father to her, was I ever equipped those years to be a parent?
Are any of us equipped to deal with parenting I wonder and then chance upon lines written by Marion Kinneman, nearly three quarters of a century ago. She calls it the Beatitudes for Parents: Blessed are those parents who make their peace with spilled milk, and with mud, for of such is the kingdom of childhood! Blessed is the parent who engages not in the comparison of his child with others, for precious unto each is the rhythm of his own growth! Blessed are the fathers and mothers who have learned laughter, for it is the music of the child’s world! Blessed and wise are those parents who understand the goodness of time, for they make it not a sword that kills growth but a shield to protect! Blessed and mature are they who without anger can say “no,” for comforting to the child is the security of firm decisions!
Blessed is the gift of consistency, for it is heart’s-ease in childhood! Blessed are they who accept the awkwardness of growth, for they are aware of the choice between marred furnishings and damaged personalities! Blessed are the teachable, for knowledge brings understanding, and understanding brings love! Blessed are the men and women who in the midst of the unpromising mundane, give love to their children, for they bestow the greatest of all gifts to their little ones, and — in an ever-widening circle — to their fellow men!
Thank you Marion for your wise words, and when my daughter walks into the airport tonight and leaves me outside, I will whisper: “Dear girl, go with a father’s prayer that the God who looks after me looks after you too, and like He’s never let me down, He won’t let you down ever..! Bon Voyage my child..!
Email:bobsbanter@gmail.com
Are any of us equipped to deal with parenting I wonder and then chance upon lines written by Marion Kinneman, nearly three quarters of a century ago. She calls it the Beatitudes for Parents: Blessed are those parents who make their peace with spilled milk, and with mud, for of such is the kingdom of childhood! Blessed is the parent who engages not in the comparison of his child with others, for precious unto each is the rhythm of his own growth! Blessed are the fathers and mothers who have learned laughter, for it is the music of the child’s world! Blessed and wise are those parents who understand the goodness of time, for they make it not a sword that kills growth but a shield to protect! Blessed and mature are they who without anger can say “no,” for comforting to the child is the security of firm decisions!
Blessed is the gift of consistency, for it is heart’s-ease in childhood! Blessed are they who accept the awkwardness of growth, for they are aware of the choice between marred furnishings and damaged personalities! Blessed are the teachable, for knowledge brings understanding, and understanding brings love! Blessed are the men and women who in the midst of the unpromising mundane, give love to their children, for they bestow the greatest of all gifts to their little ones, and — in an ever-widening circle — to their fellow men!
Thank you Marion for your wise words, and when my daughter walks into the airport tonight and leaves me outside, I will whisper: “Dear girl, go with a father’s prayer that the God who looks after me looks after you too, and like He’s never let me down, He won’t let you down ever..! Bon Voyage my child..!
Email:bobsbanter@gmail.com
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