( A mother was distressed by her child's rebellious behavior. Therefore, I wrote this article in hopes of offering encouragement to others. While the article uses child-rearing as its point of departure, it can also be extended to other aspects of life.)
When our children are studying hard but their grades aren't great, we want them to be at the top of their class.
When our children lose interest in school and become addicted to video games, we want them to quit playing and focus on their studies, but their grades may not be as important.
When our children become depressed, stop playing video games, and lose interest in everything, we simply want them to return to normal, even if they continue playing games.
When our children become addicted to drugs, get over their depression, we hope they will stop using drugs and it's not such a big deal if they are in a bad mood.
When our children are in mortal danger and leave this world, we just want them to live as long as they can, and it's okay if they use drugs.
From top to bottom, life is a tragedy. But if we move from bottom to top, life is a comedy. If we understand from the outset that it's enough just to be alive, to let go of all standards, demands, and expectations, we won't experience the pain that comes later. If we don't, life will teach us step by step how to let go.
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