Doing Well by Your Children

What is the point of giving good things to your children, or to anyone else for that matter?  The ultimate objective of giving a provision or gift should be to create within the receiver a sense of being blessed—not just for the occasion, but to have that transcend into a comprehensive long-lived belief.  Feeling blessed is the key to having a positive attitude, and being a friendly affirming person.  This bears fruit where self-exertion is required, such as studying or work or any creative endeavor that requires discipline—where one must give now in order to receive later.  When a person does not feel blessed, the attitude becomes a constant constraining search for getting theirs (a begrudging give-me attitude), rather than for giving in order to grow.  Our primary object in life should be to help others feel blessed.  In the case of children, for example, does this mean withholding discipline and to give free reign?  Obviously not.  That is a curse.  It is not always obvious what constitutes a helpful contribution.  One must leave room for the dynamic ironies of life.  Wisdom is required.  But the right provision, the right gift, is one that contributes to the ultimate reward—a deep conviction that one is abundantly blessed.

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