What we gain by listening to children
“I think parents need to be aware of how vital it is to leave everything to answer a young child’s reaching out to you to ‘come quickly’: to share a sunset, the beauty of a discovered wild flower, the trick of the pet dog, or to listen with full attention–no matter what seems prior on your agenda–when children burst into the house from school eager to have you listen to a tale of woe or a triumph they have experienced during the day….
Learning to listen to each other in families can help to make us better listeners to others and to the Inner Guide.“
— Dorothy Steere, 1984
Quaker activist
Reader Responses
When have you experienced unconditional love?
There are mornings when my communion with Nature becomes so profound that I can feel my body dissolving into Light — into the deep blue of the boundless sky, into the living, breathing earth beneath my feet. My heart overflows with a vast and sacred love, so immense that life itself feels as though it could stretch on forever... or gently come to rest in this very moment.
I am here — human — grateful to be carried by this experience of a continuum with no beginning and no end.
And yet today, as an adult, this connection asks something of me. It calls for intention, for effort. As a child, I remember it differently — it was almost always there, a natural state of being. I was touched by beauty in its purest, most unexpected forms: a simple “hello” filled with such tenderness it entered straight into my heart, the quiet magnetism of trees I longed to embrace, the softness of grass where I would lie for hours, untouched by any thought of time....
To be connected to the divine, I believe, is to remember — to return to the child we once were, who still lives within us, waiting to dive into unconditional love once again.
Balthazar B., Lille, Nord, France
I have often devoted more time and attention to where I did not feel unconditional love, which led to a sense of painful longing, resentment and anger. Reflecting on this highlights the blessings that ARE or have been there. And I am grateful.
Christin F., TX, USA
I find myself unable to open myself completely to humans, but with cats and dogs I experience God’s love.
Kate B., Philadelphia, PA, USA
[I felt unconditional love] from my Father at all times that he was alive. It was the only time I ever felt it that it was real.
Debbie M., Shortsville, NY, USA
This Week’s Messages
Mon Apr 27
Children have a divine spark
“Something of God comes into our world with every child that is born. There is here with the newborn child a divine spark, a light within.” …
Tue Apr 28
What is unique about Quaker parenting?
“Quakers are good at respecting the rights of the individual, knowing they are human beings at all ages – not acting as if they become so at some point in their lives. Whilst, as older, supposedly wiser, people, we have suggested, refused or insisted – we always explain; even if, in desperation, that’s been ‘Because I’m the parent – trust me!’ There are boundaries and rules set from a mutual expectation of trust and reasonableness.” …
Wed Apr 29
Parenting as prayer
“When I go up to kiss my sleeping children and linger with them, in quietness and love, that is prayer. There is a wordless unity of God, myself, my children, a sense of gratitude and reverence, awareness of my need for strength, shame for my failings, a promise to try again.” …
Thu Apr 30
From a young Friend: Believe in children
“Quakers want to give youth the chance to explore and know their potential. They also want them to have the confidence that they need. When adults give youth the opportunity they also expect the best from them, by this I mean they should believe in them, encourage them, share with them, trust them.” …
Fri May 01
Children are creatures of the present moment
“Living in the present moment in radical trust opens us up to discover God’s longings for our lives. Children are creatures of the present moment. ‘It’s mine and I want it now!’ They can be fierce in their desires. In their gentler moments, they guide us to see things we’re in too much of a hurry to notice. They ask us to set aside our work to read to them or leave off our plans to hear their latest knock-knock joke. They want to climb that tree, walk in the woods or wade in the creek. Not tomorrow, today. How much room do we make in our lives for our children’s plans? How much space do we leave for the unexpected?” …
Sat May 02
Parenting is a spiritual practice
“God has continually used my two children to raise me out of selfishness and make me more self-aware. Through them, God has taught me about patience, surrender, and self-control, as well as the testimonies of peace, simplicity, and integrity. They have helped me find God, not just in silence and solitude, but in the midst of chaos and crying. While I still have much to learn, I have found that naming parenting as a spiritual practice helps me follow this path more consciously so I can better pay attention to the lessons God continues to send my way.” …
Read the source of today’s quote
Banner art by Rebecca Price
