In today's world we are taught at an early age that the only thing that matters it what can we get for ourselves. If something doesn't benefit us directly then we should not partake in it. If something costs us then we should avoid it like the plague. Today's motto seems to be, live as long as you can while doing as little as you can and getting as much as you can with as little effort on your part as possible. This seems like a great idea in theory, but when you put it into practice it comes up short every time.
The most obvious point to look at is the basic need to have a child. While some would quickly put this in the self preservation category it is just the opposite. Carrying a baby to term is very dangerous to a woman's body and has long lasting effects. In short being pregnant is not keeping your body at optimum health, it's straining it to ridiculous limits. Obviously women who have children are not into self preservation. Then there's the endless nights of crying and colic. Getting up after only twenty minutes of sleep is disastrous for your health. Who would do such? Next up are the toddler years. The twenty four hour screaming match! Your stress level is through the roof. There aren't enough blood pressure pills in the world to ensure you live to your maximum age. Elementary school comes along and you swear you've failed the fourth grade for the fourth time. And now every time one of your kid's classmates has a cold, you catch it as well. Not exactly the path of someone that is trying to live the safest life possible. And I don't care how many sanitized wipes you own, if one kid in the class has the stomach bug there will be puking in your house. Then you hit the teen years, God help you. Dance recitals, camp outs, ball games, practices, field trips, science projects, more practices, competitions, music lessons, proms, college visits, more practices, and on, and on. It will be over in a blur and your hair will be gray and your health will not be much better. You will have given all of your self and left nothing in reserve. In order to raise a successful child you must be the most un-self preserving person on the planet.
To often we take the "you can have your cake and eat it too" approach to raising kids. We bring kids into this world with full intentions of self preservation. This philosophy says the school, church, and government is responsible for raising my kid while I live my life. Let me just warn you, that you get out what you put in. Do something half way and you will get a half way done job. The only path that leads to true self preservation is to open yourself up and give it all away. If you give all of yourself away to the next generation only then can you ensure that you and your beliefs will live own for another lifetime. Playing the self preservation game and keeping it all to yourself only ensures that everything you've every learned and earned in this life gets buried with you. An open hand is the only path to self preservation. I hope you share some of yourself with someone today.
