I watched her put her “world views” into action when my 19-year old brother was in Vietnam. Many times, casualty officers would arrive at our door with the latest gruesome news of him being shot down, missing in action, prisoner of war and yes, returning the wrong body to us on one occasion.
Mom taught us not to get emotionally involved until there was something to actually cry about.
- “Don’t let life wear you out. You won’t have energy for the good times”, she warned.
- “Don’t take life personally” especially when the behavior of others slops onto you.
- “Wait for the whole puzzle”. She cautioned about jumping to conclusions and catastrophic thinking when there was so little information.
- “Sit back and wait for the lesson to be revealed.”
She modeled for us the valuable tools I use today. Being “emotionally practical” teaches your children to regulate their emotions so they can use their intelligence to develop coping skills. Teach your children your own "world views" to help them on their way.
Claudia
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