Lesson # 7: You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you

As a kid, I was a wimp. I was so scared to do anything that would pose danger to myself. I can't ride the bike, I can't swim, I don't ride roller coasters and I'm so darn scared to try to skate. Unfortunately, I never outgrew all these fears. Yes, that means, up to now, I am scared to bike, to swim, to ride the roller coaster and to skate.

I don't really know what made me so scared. But looking back, my mother didn't really let me do anything adventurous when I was young. Actually, when I ask for her permission to do anything that might bring me outside HER comfort zones, there's only one standard reply: No.

And so, that left me doing nothing but read and stay inside our house.

Kids are naturally dare devils. They leap from high places, they trip and fall and they do a lot of silly things that would eventually hurt them. Although we find these things really crazy and sometimes irritating, we can't do anything about it. Coz you see, children are really born without the concept of fear. Actually, fear is something that we learn through experience. And considering how limited their experiences are, children do not really know the consequences of their actions. Hence, they live with no fear...

As adults, we have the responsibility to keep our children safe and healthy. BUT we should also be aware that kids learn from experiences and we should not limit them from doing anything that involves risk. Instead, dare your child to do new things and reinforce it by complimenting him on his little acts of bravery. It will be a bit scary for you to expose your child to these things, but I'm sure with a lot of guidance, your child will grow up to be a courageous fine man someday.

Puppy Love...

Kiko, my 6-year-old nephew, wrote this letter for his pet dogs, Marlyn and May.

Marlyn was Kiko's first and most beloved pet dog. She was given to my nephew when she was only a little puppy and they kinda grew together. Unfortunately, we needed to give Marlyn away because Marlyn was suffering from postpartum depression and she was really getting mentally unstable for Kiko to take care.

May, on the other hand, was supposed to replace Marlyn, but we needed to give her back to her owners because she was too young to be away from her parents. Her crying kept Kiko awake in the wee hours of night so Kiko goes to school yawning.

This letter broke my heart into pieces. I asked my sister if I could buy Kiko a new dog. But she refuses. I guess she's right. Kiko should learn to deal with the realities in life even at a young age. We adults tend to cushion our kids from the pains in life thinking that this is our primary purpose in their lives. But in reality, we are just mere guardians that guides through all the experiences that comes their way...be it good or bad.