I think all parents have the same lovely thoughts in their hearts for their children, but are only unable to express them in appropriate words. Well, someone did it beautifully.
If you like facts, read on below:
The prayer was written probably some time in the 1960's by Abigail Van Buren, the person behind the Dear Abby column. Abigail Van Buren is the pen-name of Pauline Phillips (1918 ~ ). Interesting fact: Pauline is the twin sister of the late Eppie Lederer, known to the world as Ann Landers. The two famous advice columnists are twin sisters!
Here is the prayer re-printed in full:
(Source: "Dear Abby", The Day, New London, Connecticut, October 23, 1971, Vol. 91, No. 95, page 14.
Oh, Heavenly Father,
make me a better parent.
Teach me to understand my children,
to listen patiently to what they have to say,
and to answer all their questions kindly.
Keep me from interrupting them or contradicting them.
Make me as courteous to them as I would have them be to me.
Forbid that I should ever laugh a their mistakes
or resort to shame or ridicule when they displease me.
May I never punish them for my own selfish satisfaction
or to show my power.
Let me not tempt my child to lie or steal.
And guide me hour by hour that I may demonstrate by all I say and do
that honesty produces happiness.
Reduce, I pray, the meanness in me.
And when I am out of sorts, help me, Oh Lord, to hold my tongue.
May I ever be mindful that my children are children
and I should not expect of them the judgment of adults.
Let me not rob them of the opportunity
to wait on themselves and to make decisions.
Bless me with bigness to grant them all their reasonable requests,
and the courage to deny them the privileges
I know will do them harm.
Make me fair and just and kind.
And fit me, Oh Lord, to be loved and respected
and imitated by my children.
Amen
Later on, Abby re-printed another version to which she attributed authorship to Garry C. Myers, founder of "Highlights for Children" magazine. (http://www.highlights.com/in-detail)
Here is the Garry C. Myers version:
(Source: "Dear Abby", Daytona Beach Morning Journal, November 1, 1980, Vol. LV, No. 263, page 3C.
Oh Heavenly Father,
Make me a better parent.
Teach me to understand my children,
to listen patiently to what they have to say
and to answer all their questions kindly.
Keep me from interrupting them,
talking back to them and contradicting them.
Make me as courteous to them as I would have them be to me.
Give me the courage to confess my sins against my children
and to ask them forgiveness, when I know that I have done wrong.
May not I vainly hurt the feelings of my children.
Forbid that I should laugh at their mistakes,
or resort to shame and ridicule as punishment.
Let me not tempt a child to lie and steal.
So guide me hour by hour that I may demonstrate by all I say and do
that honesty produces happiness.
Reduce, I pray, the meanness in me.
May I cease to nag; and when I am out of sorts,
help me O Lord, to hold my tongue.
Blind me to the little errors of my children,
and help me to see the good things that they do.
Give me a ready word for honest praise.
Help me to treat my children as those of their own age,
but let me not exact of them the judgements and conventions of adults.
Allow me not to rob them of the opportunity to wait upon themselves,
to think, to choose and to make their own decisions.
Forbid that I should ever punish them for my selfish satisfaction.
May I grant them all their wishes that are reasonable and have
the courage always to withhold a privilege which I know will do them harm.
Make me so fair and just,
so considerate and companionable to my children
that they will have genuine esteem for me.
Fit me to be loved and imitated by my children.
Oh God, do give me calm and poise and self-control.
Sadly, Pauline Phillips passed away on Jan 16, 2013. May she rest in peace. Her daughter, Jeanne, continues to write the "Dear Abby" column.
ReplyDelete