Julia Forrester’s Reviews > What is a Family? > Status Update

This basic teaching of what is most important--a human being and the relationship with that human being--can be added to by another question along the same line, "What is more important--fighting for one's rights or developing a relationship..."

Somebody has to get up early, stay up late, do MORE than the others, if the human garden is to be a thing of beauty.

Children love the attention of a little bandage, even when the cut or burn is minor, and should not be pushed aside and told, "It doesn't hurt." This is the way compassion is learned.

The mark of Christian families should be the demonstration of love in the day-by-day, mundane circumstances of life, in the many moments of opportunity to show that love suffereth long.

Adults who disintegrate into ogres yelling, "You must obey me," to little people who don't know why they feel so unable to get hold of themselves, and thus feel and act worse and worse, ought to use common sense to think of the fact that there are times when the basic needs of food, a freshening up with a bath, clean clothes, and a rest, are needed before the commands are even given.

Apologies should be made to small children by parents. The understanding of what an apology is and what forgiveness is should be a two-way street from the beginning. Pretending perfection immediately teaches falseness and rationalization of mistakes as the very first lessons taught.

Creativity needs the availability of reaching the attention of a sympathetic friend at just the right moment. Someone needs to come and watch, listen, look, respond. If there is helpful criticism to be given, the first flush of excited completion of a work is not the moment to give it.

An atmosphere conducive to creativity must be one of respect for the young (or old) artist-- however talented or clumsy the attempt has been -- respect for the need for making a mess! Creativity needs an audience, some appreciation, the response of another human being, as well as the freedom to be accomplished and some raw materials to work with.

An atmosphere of trust brings forth a sharing of ideas and an attempt to make things, with an expectation that the most wonderful thing is just about to come forth. This atmosphere comes if the basic attitude is one which takes mistakes and fresh attempts as quite expected.

A mutual trust is built up in carefully listening to even the wildest and the most impossible-sounding projects.