"Do not ask your children
to strive for extraordinary lives.
Such striving may seem admirable
but it is the way of foolishness.
Help them instead to find the wonder
and the marvel of an ordinary life.
Show the joy of tasting
tomatoes, apples and pears.
Show them how to cry
when pets and people die.
Show them the infinite pleasure
in the touch of a hand.
And make the ordinary come alive for them.
The extraordinary will take care of itself."
William Martin
I am printing this out.
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely quote.
Thank you! This is a great quote. Is this from a book? I have not heard of William Martin before. Thanks for any information you may have. God bless all you do!
ReplyDeleteHe is an author and this is from his book Parent's Tao Te Ching:Ancient Advice for Modern Parents. Sorry I didn't link to it originally; I have not read the book, just came across the quote in an e-course I am taking. Didn't want to look like I was recommending it since I don't really know much about it, but the quote reminded me of some of the prayers we pray in the Akathist Nurturer of children :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/Parents-Tao-Te-Ching-Ancient/dp/1569246629/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395195525&sr=1-1&keywords=parents+tao+te+ching
I love this! Thanks for sharing. (I'm really enjoying all your recent blog posts, btw. Very helpful and encouraging. I'm just sad we no longer live in the same town - would be so fun!)
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Hey Jennifer - good to hear from you! Hope things are going well for you all, and glad you stopped by. I know I have neglected the blogging for a while, and while it is still not a top priority, I am trying to keep up a little better. If you all are ever in town and want to get together, would love to do it!
ReplyDelete