H. Jackson Brown Jr., The Complete Life’s Little Instruction Book
| Hugs! Even cows like hugs. When I was a boy, we lived on a ranch. My father would milk our cow and we would have wonderful creamy milk and butter. The cow and my dad didn’t always get along. She would often wait until the bucket was nearly full and then kick it over. This would greatly anger my dad. Then, to make matters worse, Bessy, the cow, would get halfway through the gate to return to the pasture and refuse to move until she received a hug from my father. She couldn’t be budged, either. Finally, my dad would cool off and give her a hug and tell her she was a good cow and she would “Moo” and amble off to the pasture. Yes, it’s a true story. Sometimes as parents and grandparents we can become frustrated or angry with our children’s immature actions. Yet, a hug, a word of encouragement and the reassuring words, “I love you” can usually be better than an angry lecture. Learning Tip Consider reading good biographies, classic stories or character-training books and the Bible on a daily basis. This promotes a positive worldview and provides good examples and inspiration for children. For some ideas, ask the library for reading level appropriate biographies of famous Americans or Classic Illustrated books. The Bible also contains some of the greatest literature in the world with a valid history and character development content. There are some excellent children’s Bibles and inspirational books or The Message for teens and adults. |