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Do you have the kind of friends that will alert you when something isn't quite right, or will they simply tell you what you want to hear?
I am really thankful to say that I have some of the best friends in the world! Recently one friend was reviewing my website and noticed that I had a quote attributed to Albert Einstein.
I've read this quote so many times, but my friend alerted me to the fact that Einstein isn't likely to have said this through an online quote investigator.
While I hate to make errors of this kind, I recognize that mistakes are a typical part of life. Shifting gears for a moment, let's delve into a crucial parenting topic that I'd like to address in light of my recent oversight.
Since mistakes are likely to be a part of my kids' lives as much as they are a part of mine, it has been one of my parenting goals to teach my children to be the kind of true friend who would speak honestly when they find themselves or their friends in difficult circumstances.
I want my children to be the person that tells their friend when they are wrong because it means that they care enough to risk the relationship for the sake of the other person's benefit. Simply put it is easier to go along with the status quo than it is to tell your friend something they may not want to hear, and yet what could be a truer friend than one who is willing to risk honesty?
I also pray that my children will have friends in their lives who will do the same for them and that they will be willing to listen when that time comes. This is especially true for spiritual matters.
As children begin to develop, articulate, and evaluate their own beliefs, friendships can play an important role. Over the years my children have had friends with differing spiritual beliefs which is why I've taught them to know the difference between a friend who is advisor and a friend who is not.
This requires maturity to grasp and to implement, but for the most part my children have been great at understanding and using this strategy.
It's important as parents that we spend time developing in our children both the character to BE a good friend, and the wisdom to KNOW a good friend. Although honesty and bravery may seem like small components of this endeavor, they serve as excellent starting points to cultivate strong friendships.
As for me, I'd like to say thanks to Kenny for being a great friend to me over the years!