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A Parent’s Love, and The Lessons Our Country Should Learn.
By John Warren
Over the last 15 months, I’ve done quite a bit of thinking about my own childhood. I suppose that is natural as I think of what childhood I want my son to have.
My parents were young parents, and they found themselves in a position where not only were they working towards a future themselves, but also shouldering the incredible responsibility to raise two children. They worked hard for every nickel in our family budget, and had to make sure that our needs were met.
Often, either Ginny or I would have our heart set on some new item we may have seen during Saturday morning cartoons, or that a friend got at school. My parents, in a desire to make us happy, would try to accommodate our wants when we were able. Sometimes, however, the cost was too high, our wants had already exceeded that part of the budget, or other pressing issues had to take priority.
In those times, we were told “no.” There was no malice in that answer. It was simply a decision that had to be made based upon the reality of finances. In most cases, my sister and/or I may have felt upset with not getting our way, and would assign the notion that our parents were “just being mean.”
As adults, we obviously understand now how there was absolutely no malice in those times we were told “no.”
As I reflect upon those times, I now realize that I was learning valuable lessons about life, budgeting, and balancing our “needs’ and our “wants.” We learned the importance of living within our means, and the absurdity of placing high value on things that will be fleeting.
As I further reflect on those years, I understand that my parents had to be the “adults in the room.” Managing our household budget through the eyes of a child would meet nothing but disaster.
I thank my parents for teaching my sister and I such valuable lessons.
Today, I see our government as well as a large faction of our population failing to understand that basic lesson that my parents taught me: Sometimes we cannot—and should not—do everything. Sometimes the money is not there, or needs to be used otherwise. Sometimes, the answer must be “No.”
As all parents are, we are compassionate and loving towards our children—even if we cannot grant their every wish. There is no cruelty in that reality. We teach balance. We teach priorities. We teach responsibility.
Our government is our also our child.
Sadly, our child has not been told “no” for over 40 years now. In meeting its desires, we have allowed ourselves to put our household in jeopardy. We have let it cost us allowing our REAL children to know the way of life that we, ourselves, took for granted.
We, as citizens, have failed to be the “adults in the room.” We have allowed ourselves to be that overly permissive parent who never sets a single boundary. And then we wonder at the nature of the “child…”
We have altered our society with our lack of fiscal restraint. Today, we have an entire generation of Sandra Flukes who somehow believe not only is it her RIGHT to have ”$1,000 per year of birth control” paid for, but that it is also OUR responsibility to pay for it. She actually had a speaking part at the DNC.
Obviously, birth control isn’t the only area where we see such an attitude. In practically every aspect of life, we now have people in our country who believe that they have “rights” that require others to pay for them.
We have already failed at least one generation. And now, we fail another generation.
Yesterday, the national debt exceeded $16 Trillion. Our Gross National Product (GDP) is actually lower than our national debt, and we are adding to that national debt at a rate of over $1 Trillion per year.
Forty years ago, my parents told me “no” when my desires were economically irrational or unfeasible. While I am sure I threw a nice little fit over it, I now understand that the answer was given with love, even when it hurt my parents to have to give that answer. And I love them for that, and for being the adults in the room.
What are we telling our children today? I’ll answer that as frankly as I can here today: We are telling our children that OUR lives, OUR desires, and OUR wants are priority over THEIR future. After all—who do you think will be paying for what we cannot pay for today?
It is time to be the adults in the room. And it is time to set boundaries regardless of the inevitable "fit" that the child will have.
–– John Warren
By John Warren
Over the last 15 months, I’ve done quite a bit of thinking about my own childhood. I suppose that is natural as I think of what childhood I want my son to have.
My parents were young parents, and they found themselves in a position where not only were they working towards a future themselves, but also shouldering the incredible responsibility to raise two children. They worked hard for every nickel in our family budget, and had to make sure that our needs were met.
Often, either Ginny or I would have our heart set on some new item we may have seen during Saturday morning cartoons, or that a friend got at school. My parents, in a desire to make us happy, would try to accommodate our wants when we were able. Sometimes, however, the cost was too high, our wants had already exceeded that part of the budget, or other pressing issues had to take priority.
In those times, we were told “no.” There was no malice in that answer. It was simply a decision that had to be made based upon the reality of finances. In most cases, my sister and/or I may have felt upset with not getting our way, and would assign the notion that our parents were “just being mean.”
As adults, we obviously understand now how there was absolutely no malice in those times we were told “no.”
As I reflect upon those times, I now realize that I was learning valuable lessons about life, budgeting, and balancing our “needs’ and our “wants.” We learned the importance of living within our means, and the absurdity of placing high value on things that will be fleeting.
As I further reflect on those years, I understand that my parents had to be the “adults in the room.” Managing our household budget through the eyes of a child would meet nothing but disaster.
I thank my parents for teaching my sister and I such valuable lessons.
Today, I see our government as well as a large faction of our population failing to understand that basic lesson that my parents taught me: Sometimes we cannot—and should not—do everything. Sometimes the money is not there, or needs to be used otherwise. Sometimes, the answer must be “No.”
As all parents are, we are compassionate and loving towards our children—even if we cannot grant their every wish. There is no cruelty in that reality. We teach balance. We teach priorities. We teach responsibility.
Our government is our also our child.
Sadly, our child has not been told “no” for over 40 years now. In meeting its desires, we have allowed ourselves to put our household in jeopardy. We have let it cost us allowing our REAL children to know the way of life that we, ourselves, took for granted.
We, as citizens, have failed to be the “adults in the room.” We have allowed ourselves to be that overly permissive parent who never sets a single boundary. And then we wonder at the nature of the “child…”
We have altered our society with our lack of fiscal restraint. Today, we have an entire generation of Sandra Flukes who somehow believe not only is it her RIGHT to have ”$1,000 per year of birth control” paid for, but that it is also OUR responsibility to pay for it. She actually had a speaking part at the DNC.
Obviously, birth control isn’t the only area where we see such an attitude. In practically every aspect of life, we now have people in our country who believe that they have “rights” that require others to pay for them.
We have already failed at least one generation. And now, we fail another generation.
Yesterday, the national debt exceeded $16 Trillion. Our Gross National Product (GDP) is actually lower than our national debt, and we are adding to that national debt at a rate of over $1 Trillion per year.
Forty years ago, my parents told me “no” when my desires were economically irrational or unfeasible. While I am sure I threw a nice little fit over it, I now understand that the answer was given with love, even when it hurt my parents to have to give that answer. And I love them for that, and for being the adults in the room.
What are we telling our children today? I’ll answer that as frankly as I can here today: We are telling our children that OUR lives, OUR desires, and OUR wants are priority over THEIR future. After all—who do you think will be paying for what we cannot pay for today?
It is time to be the adults in the room. And it is time to set boundaries regardless of the inevitable "fit" that the child will have.
–– John Warren
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