Yeah, I was raised...I didn't just grow up on my own! I had a Mom and Dad...my four Sisters and I lived in the same house with our two parents. As a family unit, we did everything together.
We were read to and taught how to read at an early age
We had our meals together and prayed together
We laughed, talked to our parents and they listened to us, respected what we had to say. Helped us to solve problems. They showed interest in our schooling and helped with our homework, making sure the five of us had what we needed.
They taught us how to work, garden
Those two parents taught us and taught us well! We are who we are today because of them. The golden rule was "golden" in our home and to us, because we 'know' what it means.
Our parents prayed together as a couple
Our parents set the example and taught us how to pray to our God
We learned and did well on our own
We were taught from the Bible and went to Sunday meeting as a family...every meeting!
We knew the meaning of, R-E-S-P-E-C-T your elders... regardless. To let them speak without putting your two-cents in! We were taught to speak when we are spoken to. We got our butts up off a chair and gave it to older ones.(You better not still be sitting and they are standing, or your butt would smoke for days.)
Why...did you say? Because it was the right and respectful thing to do, and it was the way we were taught. We were taught to address any older person with a yes or no Sir or Mama...made no difference what color they might have been. Excuse, pardon me; thank you and please were words taught to us when we were toddlers...you know what, they are STILL in our vocabularies and used to this day!
Door were held for older ones and the the person behind us...why? That's what you call manners. Would you want a door slammed in your face? We were taught common sense things like: speak when you wall into a room. Assist a person when they need help. Don't lie, cheat, steal, etc.
I will, I suppose until I die, remember Scripture read to us daily when we were so young:
And, Deuteronomy 6: 6-7
Children can not be left on their own devises...trouble follows. Their role models are what's out there in the world...and they copy them well!
Truth Be Told...
if more children in this world had been raised by their parents...think about it...Wouldn't the world be a better place to live!
Pictures courtesy of Bing
"Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege, that the raising of the next generation"___C.Everett Koop
