Things to tell my children...

I have been giving a lot of thought lately to my family (family of origin) and what I wish was different with them (um, everything?). There are things that I wish my mother would have instilled in me that I hope to instill in my children. There are bonds that I wish were stronger (much stronger). And I wish I would have been taught to be more independent. Instead, I learned things like how to hold a grudge (forgiveness is something I'm still trying to wrap my head around), how to "get even", that I didn't need my siblings, and that I could always quit and come back home. Because of this, I've also been giving a lot of thought to what I want my children to leave home with. These are a few of the things I've come up with:

One of the most important things I want them to know is that their family is their foundation. Their daddy and I will always be there for them, with no strings attached. Second, I want them to know that they need to keep their bonds with each other strong. When their dad and I are gone, they will need each other, even though they'll have their own families by then.

I want them to know that they should never seek out drama....because it will ALWAYS find it's way to them. And when it does, don't encourage it. It will only make the situation harder. I want them to know that they should always speak the truth, always protect their dignity, and always stand up strong for what they believe in.

I will always stress how important a good education is to their futures. And I will always push them to do their very best, while always making sure that they're not overloaded.

I hope my children understand how important it is for them to love themselves and know themselves before their start a brand new life with someone. I never want them to lose themselves once they're found. I hope that they understand how important it is for them to establish themselves BEFORE they start depending on someone else.

Finally, I always want my babies to know that they can trust me. I want them to be able to tell me whatever they want (or need) to, without ever having the thought cross their minds that I might betray their trust, or that I might tell someone their secrets. I want them to trust each other. They will never understand how important their relationships are with one another until (well, hopefully they'll never understand) they don't have them.