More than two-dozen “lessons for life” were outlined in a book written by Marian Wright Edelman, best known for her position as president of the Children’s Defense Fund.
Edelman
wrote the book as a letter to her own children, but the wisdom that permeates
it can serve as a lesson for us all.
The
first lesson is quite simple: There is no free lunch. Don’t feel entitled to
anything you don’t sweat and struggle for.
She
writes: “Each American adult and child
must struggle to achieve, and not think for a moment that America has got it
made.”
Especially
in the days of instant fame and celebrity through the sports and entertainment
fields, it is sometimes difficult for young people to keep their lives and
their goals in perspective.
Edelman
reminds us that rewards are so much richer and more fulfilling if we have
earned them through our own hard work.
She
says we must teach our children, by example, not to wobble and jerk through
life, but to take care and pride in work, and to be reliable.
A
life well lived is embodied in those who serve others, who share their
successes, and who give back to those who have helped them.
Many
of us know of philanthropists who have accumulated great wealth but are moved
to share it in ways that benefit others.
Those
we admire most are those who do it quietly without fanfare or without need for
public acknowledgment. They do it not for self-glory, but for what they see as
the public good.
It’s
a good value to instill in all our children.
