Question of the Week: What would you change?
December 27, 2013
By JoAnn Turnquist
President and CEO, Central Carolina Community Foundation
December 27, 2013
As we bid adieu to 2013, there’s much to reflect on and much to plan. A New Year is upon us – the possibilities are endless!
Before you turn the calendar, take the time to look review 2013 as a family. What are you thankful for? What milestones occurred? And, perhaps most interestingly of all, if you had the power to change something that happened in the world this year, what would you change?
No, we’re not asking you to invite Debbie Downer to your family’s New Year’s party, but there is value in talking about events that have occurred. Although we can’t shield our children from the pain of the world, we can provide tools that will help them weather storms, emotionally prepare for disappointment, develop empathetic hearts, and discover their ability to make a difference in our the world.
Some years, our answers to the question ‘what would we change in the world’ will be obvious. In 2001, most Americans would have willed away September 11th an event that altered our national psyche. Our children may wish to change small personal experiences (losing the class kickball championship or not receiving an iPad for Christmas) or momentous experiences that affect many people (hurricanes, school shootings, terror in foreign lands) Regardless, these experiences offer parents the opportunity to reassure our children about the future; provide a deeper understanding of the world around us and a lesson in compassion and understanding. After your discussion, the kickball championship loss may be viewed very differently by your child.
So as you pull out the New Year’s noisemakers and prepare your meal of pork, black-eyed peas and collard greens, take a trip down memory lane. What was wonderful about the year and, interestingly, what would you change? Question of the Week!
Happy New Year’s, everyone!
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