Dear children, you are what you eat...and read, and listen to, and surround yourself with. Your mind will use the information you put into it to reason with. You will use the ideas you have encountered to figure out life. It is so important that you read about good, strong and brave heroes. Good books are food for your brain. Beautiful music and art will feed your soul. Encouraging friends and family will help you more than anything you could do for yourself. And God can only speak clearly to you when you get to know Him.
Grace, you are reading
Anne of Green Gables right now, and several times a day you will mention something about her you like and how YOU want to be like that (including some day dyeing your hair red). But when you encounter a character who is so bold and passionate, how could you not be inspired to be more of yourself? Grace with an "e"... that's my girl! When you kids see a character in book living out a hidden part of who you are you see it, and it can bring that part of you alive.
Trip, you were definitely forever changed when we read
My Side of the Mountain about a boy who goes out and lives in the woods by himself for a year. It flipped a switch inside you and ever since you want to make things you collect from outside or the recycling bin. And I hope one day one of your squirrel traps will work so you can have that pet squirrel you want so badly :)
I know I can't protect you all from the world... but why do we push all these sassy, rude, obnoxious role models on our kids? They are what they eat and if we surround them with things worth imitating they will find the things in themselves worth imitating and bring them out. Sometimes kids just need to see that great things can be done... whether in a work of fiction or a real life role model... and then they will believe that they can do it too. They have to see how to do the right thing and they will do it.
You are what you eat and I hope my failings can be filled up with the great characters in the books you read.
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