“To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, — that is genius.”
This thought found in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Essay on Self-Reliance is a belief that most people, especially our youth, aren’t encouraged to keep top of mind. Now we can get into a back and forth about self-esteem vs humility. I will bravely proffer that they are not mutually exclusive. Most confident and contributing people I know have a healthy dose of both. My experience is that life hands us opportunities, regularly, for humility.
My concern is that our kids and Grandkids lack a sense of perspective and confidence in their own power and goodness.
With all this time to use their imaginations it sure would be valuable for them to know and trust their own sense of self. I find the best way to do this is to be a “Good Seer and Good Sayer”. If you take the time and effort to find what you recognize and Love about people in general but kids specifically and take the all important step to let them know, your contribution to this world will be magnified and usually paid forward.
Thank You for being a Caring Grandparent.