Knowing ourselves by understanding our parents

June 27 2016

Hi!

When was the last time you had a deep conversation with your parents about what it was like for them raising you? There's the historical facts, but what about the meaning behind the meaningful experiences?

I wonder how many people see their parents as human beings doing their best, each moment to moment.

It’s a special gift for a parent to create that conversation with their child when they age into adulthood. That conversation empowers the child to own their lives and to look at their childhood compassionately. I think that conversation is the most powerful source for being compassionate to ourselves and others.

It can be hard to articulate sometimes, so I'm making an app called Lifechime, to help parents chime in about what it's like as they raise their children as early as pregnancy, and create that gift in a format that can endure their child’s teens, 20’s and 30’s, available no matter what happens.

Within parents and children connecting deeply, what I care about most is for children who lose a parent at a young age to be able to know - who was their mom or dad, what does mom see in her child's eyes and want for her child, and to really know the unconditional love that is there and everlasting.

Either way, I think it'll be a real treasure for both parent and child to review these moments through different stages of life. And funny to review too, like in the way we laugh at ourselves for what we used to get excited or worry about.

I invite you to ask your parents what it was like, and if you have a little one, turn the camera around and save a little bit of this moment for them. I'm curious whether or not this was impactful for you. Please drop me a note.

Warmly yours in being

Josh
[email protected]
San Francisco, CA



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