"Raising" Children

Today the phrase raising children came to my mind in a way it has not before. When someone says they want to raise their children well, most times I think- help them grow up, become successful adults and not get into trouble. This seems to be the standard idea of raising a child, but today I thought of a new perspective.

We as the older generation can raise a child up. By this I mean to a higher level, even higher than we have turned out. Isn't that the point anyway? Shouldn't we hope that our children and grandchildren will have more knowledge, be more skilled, kind, spiritual and well rounded than we are? I think it is our job to help them attain the potential they don't even know they have. We can raise them not only to be productive adults, but to a higher level, as an elevator raises a passenger to a new level to then explore and do more than on the previous level.

All this maybe see elementary to some of you, but I found it an inspiring and interesting train of thought.

Running in Flipflops...

A few days ago, as I was running across the Quad on Utah State's campus, in flipflops, giving myself shin splints, kicking muddy grassiness onto my legs, and listening to the five p.m. chime of the bell in Old Main....I realized two things...

The procrastinator in my HAS to DIE! How many times can I run to turn a paper in minutes before it's late, start an online quiz just minutes before it closes, or read an article in the class I should have prepared for?

Also, I have become a perpetually late person. I am always trying to do just one more thing before I leave, or one more errand before I go to class, or sleep one more minute. It's not good, and it's not the person I want to be. I think it developed from the distaste of being awkwardly early. But, I have decided- being early is only an opportunity to take in my surrounds and appreciate the time I have, a time to reflect.

So, I will as of today, do better.