Sunday, April 29, 2018
Sunday Reflection: What comes first?
I recently stumbled across an unusual article about my former neighbors (and fellow Wacoans of the Year) Chip and Joanna Gaines. The writer, Daryl Austin, pretty much doesn't buy the Gaines' claim that they put family first, given all that they have going on:
No matter how rich and famous, we are all limited by the same 24 hours in a day. You cannot do all they’ve done (or even a fraction of it) and still have any real time left over for family. Frankly, I wonder where they even find the time to brush their teeth, let alone spend quality, one-on-one time with each child daily.
I disagree.
Of course, I will concede that anyone opens themselves up to charges of hypocrisy when they announce a rank-order of their priorities (even if that listing is "For God, for Country, and for Yale). Life is complicated, and often hard to see from the outside of any one life, relationship, or family. And we all do things that honor one value more than others at different times.
There is a way, though, in which I think the Gaines's accomplishing a lot is the epitome of good parenting. Kids learn a lot more from what they see adults do than they learn from what adults say. I know that is true of what I learned from my parents-- they instilled values by showing us how they played out in real life. My mom didn't give me one-on-one time filled with speeches about how we are responsible for others in our community, but I saw her go off to do exactly that--help people in our community-- all the time. That probably meant much more.
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The only people who get to decide whether Chip and Joanna are putting their family first are their children.
Mark -- Great editorial page item regarding Hulett Gloer. Meg and I have appreciated his preaching and teaching, and the obvious love between the Gloers.
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