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Today's
Meditation:
It
concerns me to consider how many times I might have missed
reading such a sign. Perhaps that kid acting up last
week was just starved for attention, waiting for someone
to notice him. And perhaps that little girl has
received positive attention so rarely that she's not quite
sure how to ask for it. But since the way that we
treat children is part of our contribution to the world, I
try to keep in mind that my encouragement and praise can
have a much broader effect than just making the child feel
good for the moment-- it can add a sense of confidence and
self-respect to the child's psyche that can never be taken
away.
It
can, though it won't necessarily do so. It depends
upon how I give it, and how it's received. It
depends upon whether I encourage again, later, or turn
around and criticize and discourage later.
Children
are works in progress-- works of art, if we allow them to
be so and help them to be so.
It's
remarkable how much effect our sharing of positive energy
can have on others. It's amazing to see how another
human being can feel so much better when they receive
positive input from us. And children can do great
things with that energy, for they have so much energy
themselves, already-- receiving our positive attention and
combining that with their own enthusiasm can create a
fantastic synergy.
While
giving children the attention they deserve can help
prevent much delinquency, that of course shouldn't be our
reason for giving it. When we give sincerely out of
love-- unconditionally, without expectations of return--
then we can truly contribute great things to the
young people in our lives.
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