Sasha during our walk from school today: “If we don’t have children when we grow up, the legacy of our name will die.”
He is seven and insightful. To love our conversations is a given.
Not so, I tell him. There’s more to legacies than just a name. Leaving something significant behind is what is all about.
What can that be, they both ask.
What can that be, I ask them back.
Run across the country for a cause, like Terry Fox? Yes.
A book? Yes.
But wait. What if you change someone’s life? What if someone’s path becomes lighter because of you? Whether you know it or not?
They pause, think and we walk along.
Yes, true, they agree. Hmm. They both say they haven’t changed anyone’s life so far. They changed mine, one day they’ll know it. Introspection of that kind in children is an adorable feature.
We talk about whether a Budweiser baseball cap is a bad thing to wear at school since it can sway kids’ minds into consuming beer – a social studies conundrum from the day’s work – and we all agree that while many of us are walking advertisement billboards for various companies or products, a fast food cap can deliver a much more dangerous blow to the minds of children.
Talking, debating, asking and answering questions. That’s the most delightful part of parenting. Don’t miss it.