As parents, we are our children’s first and most important teachers — something worth reflecting on as we move into a new year.
Questions we've been considering: Do we need guidance from traditional religion in this less “church-going” town to help with our obligation to guide their strong moral compasses (“A rabbi, an imam, a priest and a Buddhist walk into an interview")? The wisdom shared by this beautiful cross section of our religious community may inspire us to “love thy neighbor” and name a few New Year’s resolutions.
Learning about our neighbors and understanding the stranger, near or far, is essential to peace. Just 33 miles south of SeaTac, where so many of us fly off during these holidays to visit family or hop out for a sunny vacation, live thousands of military families. They sacrifice their lives for our freedom, and face inconceivable challenges. To hear their stories (“Military moms, duty-driven dads”) is to honor them.
Freedom, to many, means being able to do what you want, when you want. I fought it for a long time, but today, I am grateful for being raised, and for raising my three children, within a religious tradition and finding our way. For us, freedom is the ability to create a meaningful life with authentic values, living a life of constant growth and striving to live up to our potential.
We’ll never get there but we’ll keep trying.