The Greatest Gift a Parent Can Give

I just want to share a story. This particular man's father is a bit of a tyrant, a controlling man. And he certainly had his own history as to how he became that person. But it manifested in this family where there was a great deal of control. He he needed his kids to learn x amount of time in the right type of way in certain conditions. And a child needs to make a choice in that moment. Do I abide by this to secure the love, which is the most important factor that child needs? It's just a feeling of my parents embrace me. They adore me. they believe in me? Do I forsake myself in order to acquire this love for my parents or do I lean into myself and become that? To this day, he's still trying to identify his own self. Here he is, an adult years later with a family of his own. And it's hard for him to pause and listen to his own internal heartbeat. The gift of looking at a child and saying, "I love you for who you are," as opposed to, "I need you to be something for me," is probably one of the most selfless gifts we could give to a child. God willing, it gives to future generations as well.