Flying Lessons

With the beginning of another school year, I seem to be thinking a great deal about teaching my children how to fly. Flying means facing the future with confidence and hope. I want them to soar beyond expectations, achieving their goals and dreams.

I have been pondering the question:

I have felt led to this simple, straightforward answer: “Strengthen the roots”.

A shift in focus from wings to roots

My initial reaction was something like, "But that doesn't fit with the imagery of flying... It would appear strengthening roots would be in opposition to flight." However the more I pondered, the more I realized the following:

• Roots allow us to be grounded. 
• Roots provide nourishment and strength.
• As roots reach deeper, greater stability is achieved.
• Roots provide connections.

Isn't that exactly what I want for my children? The answer is a resounding, "Yes!" I want them to be sure and strong, stable, and confident individuals. I want them to always feel connected to people that love them.  

Roots are found in family history. True stories of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or great-grandparents that faced real challenges, survived difficult situations, or persevered through life with all of its ups and downs can provide examples of fortitude and resilience. Sometimes these individuals found success, but occasionally it was failure and heartbreak that provided the valuable life lessons. These are the stories that will build and uplift my children. These are the stories that create connections, nourish despairing hearts, and offer hope.

There is a great deal of research that supports the importance of family history and family roots. Here is a snippet from one of those articles. 

Bruce Feiler (Author of “The Secrets of Happy Families”):

“…researchers at Emory did this study that showed that the kids who know more about their family history had a greater belief that they could control their world and a higher degree of self-confidence. It was the number one predictor of a child's emotional well-being.”   http://theweek.com/articles/444395/6-things-happiest-families-all-have-common

These are the phrases that really stood out to me:

• Self-confidence
• Greater Control
• Emotional Well-being

That list looks like Wings to me! Those characteristics that are developed through roots, are the precursors to safe and confident flight. 

The more we learn from the past, the more hope we can have for the future. If the number one predictor of emotional well-being is found in the roots of family history, every parent should feel the responsibility of binding their family together through ancestral stories. 

I find great significance in Malachi 4:7 which states, “And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers...” This verse speaks to more than simply figuring out your family tree. Rather, it is an invitation know and love those family members and their stories for our continued benefit.

I commit to do whatever I can to “Strengthen the Roots” of each one of my precious children by teaching them from family histories. 

Flying lessons have begun.

Kendra