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Not long ago I read, and then passed on to my father, a captivating history of our family's Scottish and Irish ancestors. Upon completing it, Dad said something to me that fueled a long conversation. "Now I get it!" he marveled. "I finally see, in the story of these people, so much of why I am the way I am!"
In light of the actions and antics of our long-dead forefathers, we could not deny seeing how we came to inherit certain family traits. Admittedly, depending on the nature of the insight, these traits can make you swell with pride one moment and burn with embarrassment the next!
One doesn't always expect to unearth such a personal mirror in the annals of a history book, but life surprises us like that. In sundry ways we steadily discover how our lives have been so greatly influenced by the cultures, teachings, behaviors, personalities and choices of the people who influenced us to one degree or another.
Passing on to my dad a good history book was only a small favor in return. After all, the one thing that shaped my life more than any other was a history book that my parents gave to me when I was a child. More about that in a moment, but first, back to the influences on our lives.
It is certainly enlightening, and maybe at times almost scary, to comprehend the power other people have had over our lives. But sooner or later we realize that we, too, wield this power over others-especially those of us who are parents.
All of these thoughts and memories were triggered by a simple but crucial statement I read in this issue's lead article on page 4: "As a parent, you should realize that whether or not you help your children build their future, their future will be shaped by someone."
Jerold Aust's article "How Can You Help Your Child Succeed? compellingly explains why your children are counting on you to be the strongest, most positive influence in their lives.
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