Like parent, like offspring...

A dear sister shared a lesson from an Aesop fable: the Crab and its mother (one I've never heard of) with me and I couldn't keep it to myself...


A CRAB said to her son, 
"Why do you walk so one-sided, my child? It is far more becoming to go straight forward." 

The young Crab replied: "Quite true, dear Mother; and if you will show me the straight way, I will promise to walk in it." The Mother tried in vain, and submitted without remonstrance to the reproof of her child.

Moral: “Example is more powerful than precept.”

It quickly brought to mind how many parents challenge their children to be the best in their class - as they were in their day. We know that may be true for some parents but imagine if a set of classmates said the same thing to their respective children? Obviously 99% of them would be lying to theirs...hopefully, you are not part of that 99%.

Although I wasn't top of my class in elementary or secondary school or even the first few years of University...I graduated top of my class - which teaches that anyone can top their class with appropriate determination and diligence. The point here is rather than just challenge our children to top their class - which we want all of ours to, we must be willing to "show them how" like the Mother Crab was challenged to and this includes spending time with them and their school work.

Our children can (& should) be greater than we are - we just need to be the shoulder they can lean on to help them see further. Just as you used to put them on your shoulders when they were younger - so they could see far, continue to be that shoulder of strength and support and watch them attain higher heights to God's glory. God prosper us all.

P.S. I decided to publish this on the day that would have been my mother's birthday. She showed and taught me so much by example - I pray I'll be a better mother than she was.