Building Cathedrals Not Walls: Essays for Parents and Teachers

by Maren Schmidt

An architect visited a construction site and asked the brick masons what they were building. "Mister," the first worker slopped mud onto a brick, "can't you see I'm building a wall?" Every worker, no matter the chore, told the architect they were laying brick or stacking a wall. One worker offered a different version of his labors. He stood upright, smiled and said, "Look. I'm building a cathedral." With our day-to-day toils of parenting and teaching, we might say, "Can't you see I'm busy with the kids?" When we develop the art of the long view we should discover that we are building humanity. We are part of a group striving to build a better world, task by task, day by day, year in year out, generation by generation. When we have a plan and a vision, we understand we are building cathedrals, not walls. The mundane becomes the magnificent. And that makes all the difference. Read Building Cathedrals Not Walls for a dose of parenting and teaching inspiration.

228 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2009

About the author

Maren Schmidt M.Ed.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am currently reading this book. It's a great book for reading a section here and there at your own pace. Very inspirational! It helps me to remember to see the positive in tough situations. This will be a great book to reference when feeling frustrated during a rough day at school and/or home.

[Lourdes]

Understanding and inspirational.