A Contest

Life is not a contest. It's really not who has more money or who has a bigger house. It's certainly not who has a nicer car or who goes where on vacation. It absolutely isn't who gets better grades in school or who can read better, run faster, sing louder or hit the ball the farthest.  It isn't even who is more successful.....Success is relative!  A man who works each day digging ditches, has a healthy family and whose bills are paid is far more successful (in my opinion) than a corporate exec who sits in a big office with credit cards maxed to the hilt, mortgages he may never pay off and stress that's slowly killing him. It really isn't "he who dies with the most toys wins!"  We, as parents and grandparents, have the ability to instill our kids the basic equality in us all.  I'm not sure we're doing such a hot job. Our educational system is based on test scores...Bullshit.. (sorry)...Now we're going to share our teacher evaluations with the world.  That kind of turns teaching into a contest.  We all learn differently.  I know I'm guilty of bragging up Bailee's reading ability...but the poor girl has trouble skipping......... I guess when I brag, I'm probably not doing anyone a favor...least of all Bailee.  I think what I love about 5 year olds is their lack of stereotyping... They really don't see black or white, smarter or slower, ugly or beautiful......We are the ones who plant those seeds.... I'm sure not purposely but these little minds soak up everything they see and hear.  Whether it's a joke that Grandpa tells or a comment made about how someone looks....they're learning that from us!  Life may not be a contest but we're responsible nonetheless for the rules.  They see things through us... scary as that might be if you think about it.  Bailee and I were playing Guess Who the other day.  My question was, "Is your person black?" Her reply, "what does that mean Grandma?"    There you go!