I found this poem on a facebook post by  a colleague claiming, all parents should follow this.

“Do not ask your children
to strive for extraordinary lives.
Such striving may seem admirable,
but it is the way of foolishness.
Help them instead to find the wonder
and the marvel of an ordinary life.
Show them the joy of tasting
tomatoes, apples and pears.
Show them how to cry
when pets and people die.
Show them the infinite pleasure
in the touch of a hand.
And make the ordinary come alive for them.
The extraordinary will take care of itself.”
?William Martin.

Imagine if every person from the beginning of time spent their time just eating a tomato, apple or a pear and relishing its taste, and then held each other’s hand  and cry when their pets die ! If that was all that meant to live in this world, then perhaps, we wouldn’t have sent an unmanned  spacecraft to Mars, we wouldn’t have almost eradicated Polio.. If it wasn’t for the people who lead/led extra ordinary life, we would still be living in caves and eating raw meat! It is the extra ordinary that made all the scientific discovery possible.

I am not saying children shouldn’t be taught to be compassionate or find joys in little things. However enjoying little things in life alone  doesn’t make your life extra ordinary. You need to work for it, for that you need to teach children, Determination, work ethics, good attitudes, positive thinking..they need to aim for the extra ordinary.

At the end, It is not how you can relish the taste of a freshly plucked tomato that will define your life. It is what difference you made to this world.. your contributions ( However small) is what matters at the end. So teach your children to  strive for the extra ordinary today, the tomatoes will still be there tomorrow..