Giving of Oneself

A mother came to Gandhi, seeking his help in persuading her child to give up his habit of eating too many sweets. Gandhi replied that she would have to bring her child back to him in two weeks. The mother was puzzled, but she returned. Gandhi then took the child aside and counseled him about the dangers of too much sugar. The mother wanted to know, "But why did you wait two weeks to talk to him?" Gandhi replied, "Because two weeks ago I, too, was eating sugar." http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/dec09/vol67/num04/Vital_Connections.aspx

Being generative requires giving something of oneself to create something new; a piece of art, a delicious meal, a beautiful garden, even a healthy child. As Gandhi suggests, children learn what is important from us....