My parents had the idea right when they were raising us. They knew that they were raising kids to become adults because in reality that is what we are doing when we become parents. We are not raising them to be our buddies.When raising kids to be adults we teach responsibility but I still think we are missing the mark about life. What if we start teaching our kids to treasure the small things each and every day? Look out your window and try to appreciate the bird that just landed on your deck so close you can watch and observe the beauty of nature in that moment.

That moment may be all you have to hold onto some day when life throws you curves. Life does not tell us that we may be homeless one day, we may lose all our earthly possessions one day, we may lose those we love dearly one day. All the possessions in the world suddenly don’t matter when life comes knocking on our door. So yes we can teach resiliency but maybe not to make your child “tough” but to focus on small everyday things that we can call upon in times of trauma when there is nothing that seems to soothe our soul. In the times when all we have is this very moment. I think we need to start teaching children that life is very hard and that is exactly why we need to have gratitude in the smallest of things each and every day.

This is one of my life lessons after losing Rehtaeh. This is a positive aspect of my loss and we absolutely have to find positive in death. Of course it seems impossible in the beginning and it is but positivity can  come from negative, horrific experiences. I am grateful every day for each and every one of you that read my ramblings and follow my page. Without the loss of Rehtaeh I would not have come to know you.