“From the normal irritations of living together, they learn how to assert themselves, defend themselves, compromise.”

No wonder they mobilize all their energy to have more or most. Or better still, all.

Add to that the envy that one child feels for the accomplishments of the other;

I was a wonderful parent before I had children.

From their verbal sparring they learn the difference between being clever and being hurtful.

The personal frustrations that they don’t dare let out on anyone else but a brother or sister,

I was an expert on why everyone else was having problems with theirs. Then I had three of my own.

From their endless rough-housing with each other, they develop speed and agility.

I was a wonderful parent before I had children.

Our job is to let our children know what’s right about them.

Comforters for our todays / Guardians of memories

We put him in touch with his inner reality.

From their struggles to establish dominance over each other, siblings become tougher and more resilient.

And sometimes, from their envy of each other’s special abilities they become inspired to work harder, persist and achieve.

Content in our connectedness / we are brothers and sisters / after all.

No one cares / who is better / who is worse / who has more / who has less.

The whole world will tell them what’s wrong with them–out loud and often.

The meaning of our lives is revealed through experiences that at first seem at odds with each other–moments we wish would never end and moments we wish had never begun.

If it weren’t for the smell of death clinging to the walls, you might think it was your family’s turn to host the month neighborhood potluck supper.

The primary goal of spiritual life is human transformation.

Not that anyone minds–no one’s paying attention to the music.

It is better to write of laughter than of tears, for laughter is the property of man.

Forget about color or race or gender or whatever, he’s got his heart in the right place.

The bad gives rise to the good, the good inspires the better, the better produces the excellent, the excellent is followed by the bizarre

God may not guide us in an obvious way because he wants us to make decisions based on faith and character.