Don’t bring home stupid — and please make sure they’re kind.
I have two children, and when they became old enough to date, their father and I told them repeatedly one thing: don’t bring us home stupid. We will eat them.*
Jeff and I truly didn’t care what color, creed or religion our children’s dates were. We didn’t care if they dated the same gender as themselves. We only wanted them to be healthy and happy — the rest were minor details that could be worked out. But stupid people? Well, nothing can be done against that, that was a fight already lost, a life already doomed to limits and shrugs and pity. In the words of comedian, Ron White, “You can’t fix stupid.” That was one uphill climb that would never end — one ball that was never going to be caught.
Now that I reached a milestone of 60 years of age, I believe that Jeff and I did a pretty good job raising our children. They are both intelligent, responsible, funny people who treat others well. But I also feel that I should have added another addendum to “stupid” and that would have saved them some time in the dating pool.
I should have added, “And make sure they’re kind, as well — kind to you, but kind to others as well.”
Kindness, in this very unkind world, is a rare and beautiful thing. The longer I live, the more I appreciate it. When I see an act of kindness, no matter…
