Adventures in Parenting

Today’s task for our 30 Days to Better Parenting Challenge will seem strange. But trust me. I’ve done this before and it’s good.

Take the whole family to a cemetery.

You read correctly.

We usually go after a late breakfast on a nice Saturday morning. My family would walk around the gravesites, reading the epitaph. We see how old the deceased was, what is said about them. If there is a mausoleum, there is usually some nice artwork to view. This outing is not morbid at all. It’s very relaxing and interesting. There are many lessons to be learned from a cemetery.

We learn that life is short. When we see some tombstones of people who died who were born about the same time we were, we are reminded to appreciate each day that we have. It reminds us to appreciate the ones we loves.

Another lesson we learn is that what is happening now is not forever. Our worries are put into the background as we consider how precious life is.

With the many thousands of gravesites we scan over the fields, we realize that there is more to life than us. Every day people are dying. We can’t afford to live selfishly. We are rejuvenated in our desire to help others while there is still time.

This outing helps our children put their perspective in the right place. It makes us reflect on what is valuable and what is not, and what we really want to be known for.

We give each one a hug afterwards and appreciate one another more.