Searching for Our Soul?

We have been reading the Little House series to our children, In book four, we read of one Christmas where the girls choose to forgo their (one) Christmas present so that their father could get a team of horses.

This weekend, we talked about Christmas presents with our children. We mentioned that they would get one present so they would need to list their wants and par it down to one.

Our oldest protested that they wanted more than one! My wife, quickly recounted, "How many presents did Laura get for Christmas?"

Kenya (6), replied, "One." She saw that someone else that she identified with got the same... she stopped protesting.

Just the day before I finished reading Throw Your Kids A Bone. by CS Williamson. A story that shows, in part, the contrast between those who gets all they want versus others that don't.

Then on Monday, I read my favorite newsletter (click the link on the main photo then the What did we admire link) and discovered the following quote.

"...Then there is the kind of Christmas with presents piled high, the gifts of guilty parents as bribes because they have nothing else to give. The wrappings are ripped off and the presents are thrown down and at the end the child says - 'Is that all?' Well it seems to me that America now is like that second kind of Christmas. Having too many THINGS they spend their hours and money on the couch searching for a soul. A strange species we are. We can stand anything God and Nature can throw at us save only plenty. If I wanted to destroy a nation, I would give it too much and I would have it on its knees, miserable, greedy and sick." – John Steinbeck, in a letter to his lifelong friend, Pascal Covici

I grew up in modest circumstances in a wealthy area. A number of my high school friends got their choice of new cars when they turned 16. Many had their own credit card ("with limits" they would tell me). By all standards they had plenty...

With this background, I never wanted my children to grow up the way I say things - what plenty did to people and families. I admire how Warren Buffett brought up his family. His children never knew that he had plenty of money. I have seen how having plenty of money can ruin a family.

Of course, I always wanted more than I got, but fortunately for me my parents couldn't afford to give me more! They would have, if they could have afforded it.

Of all of the things I am grateful for, one, I am most grateful for is growing up with less that I wanted. Because now I can teach it to my children and their children and even their children.

Assignment:
If you are interested in seeing what your children will turn out like if you indulge them, please get and read, Throw Your Kids A Bone. by CS Williamson. Then spend a few minutes in considering what you want to teach your children. Write it down. Then compare it to what you are teaching them when you indulge them.


I sure hope you don't believe in mere coincidence.

Then on Monday, I read my favorite newsletter (click the link on the main photo then the What did we admire link) and discovered the following quote.

"...Then there is the kind of Christmas with presents piled high, the gifts of guilty parents as bribes because they have nothing else to give. The wrappings are ripped off and the presents are thrown down and at the end the child says - 'Is that all?' Well it seems to me that America now is like that second kind of Christmas. Having too many THINGS they spend their hours and money on the couch searching for a soul. A strange species we are. We can stand anything God and Nature can throw at us save only plenty. If I wanted to destroy a nation, I would give it too much and I would have it on its knees, miserable, greedy and sick." – John Steinbeck, in a letter to his lifelong friend, Pascal Covici

I grew up in modest circumstances in a very wealthy area. A number of my high school friends got new cars when they turned 16. Many had their own credit card ("with limits" they would tell me). By all standards they had plenty...

With this background, I never wanted my children to grow up the way I say things - what plenty did to people and families. I admire how Warren Buffett brought up his family. His children never knew that he had plenty of money. In my opinion, having plenty of money can ruin a family.

Of course, I always wanted more than I got, but fortunately for me my parents couldn't afford to give me more! They would have, if they could have afforded it.

Of all of the things I am grateful for, one, I am most grateful for is growing up with less that I wanted. Because now I can teach it to my children and hopefully their children and even their children.

Assignment:
If you are interested in seeing what your children will turn out like if you indulge them please get and read, Throw Your Kids A Bone. by CS Williamson. Then spend a few minutes in consideration of what you want to teach your children. Write it down. Then compare it to what you are teaching them when you indulge them.


I sure hope you don't believe in mere coincidence.