Honouring Sacrifice and Teaching Responsibility—A Veterans Day Message
Next week we will be observing Veterans Day, which was first observed 105 years ago as Armistice Day on November 11, 1919. In 1954, 70 years later, Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day as a Federal holiday to honor all US Veterans.
Many of the good things that we enjoy in this country are sometimes taken for granted. We are free to stop for coffee on the way to work, push our kids on park swings, celebrate holidays and birthdays, complain about minor inconveniences, and tuck our children into bed at night. We are also able to speak our minds, raise our families in ways we believe best, choose who or what to worship, participate in government and so much more. In many ways, these things are possible because of the sacrifices made by veterans. Sacrifices that they made because of their strong sense of responsibility and purpose.
One of Love and Logic’s goals is to help parents raise kids who grow into responsible adults—adults who also have a strong sense of purpose. Early in the history of Love and Logic, we learned that responsibility cannot be taught. It simply does not work to tell a kid, “Be responsible.” In fact, we observed that many responsible children came from families in which the word responsibility was rarely used. Parents in these families help their kids learn how to be responsible by allowing them to learn from their mistakes. They help their kids learn how to solve their own problems.
Parents can also encourage their kids to develop a sense of purpose and community. One way is for parents to talk about their own sense of purpose. Let kids know what you care about, what abilities you have, how you can use those abilities to help others, and how you want to change things in society or the world. Encourage kids to think about what might give them a sense of purpose.
A strong sense of responsibility and purpose is evident in our veterans. As we honor our veterans this Veterans Day, let us never take their sacrifices for granted. We continue to be thankful as we enjoy the light of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—all because of the sacrifices made by veterans and their families.
With gratitude to all our veterans,
Dr. Charles Fay