Today's reflection

"My view is, that the most important thing in life is never to have too much of anything." (Terence)
Too much of something always means not enough of something else. Too much money usually means not enough simplicity or humility; too much sunshine means not enough rain. But just, as different climates have their own proportions of hot and cold or wet and dry, different families have their own styles of behavior. "Too much discipline," thinks the liberal humanist about an Amish child or a little Orthodox Jewish scholar. "Too much laxity," thinks the traditional parent about the progressive family. Too much makeup, too much allowance, too much studying, too much dirt; in our pluralistic society we have wonderfully different ways of caring for children and educating them, feeding and managing our households. When sane parents love their children, the growing conditions are pretty good no matter what techniques are used.
As a nation mostly of immigrants, we come in many colors, shapes, and styles. What may seem excessive to Nordic people or to Native Americans might appear barely adequate to Latinos or Hungarian Americans. One secret of living successfully in a multicultural society is to respect differences and traditions. Balance is the key; we respect and love others when we respect and love ourselves.
(Taken from "Family Feelings. Daily Meditations for Healthy Relationships," by Martha Vanceburg and Sylvia W. Silverman, August 11).