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Personal Ethics

Even if I’m not really going to college in my sons’ minds, they still manage to use me as an editorial service. If they want a B or better on a paper, it undergoes Mom’s red pen before it gets turned in.

(I love that I can actually mark everything in red just by selecting “Track changes” from the “review” menu in Word. I don’t care what they say about red marks being hard on self-esteem. There’s something about marking in red ink that makes me feel like a real editor.)

This term, my business marketing son is taking two ethics classes. He sent me a paper entitled “Personal Ethics” that outlined his own values and character and how it was developed and what sort of things influence or change it. In a world where my sons still “know it all,” reading this paper made me weep proud.

The son in question
The son in question

The paper was divided into four sections: personal vocation, personal values, character and ethical choices. Since it was for a business class, one might expect dry reading. Not so.

First of all, my youngest writes with a loud and clear voice. He doesn’t have the best grammar (and his spelling would appall without spellcheck), but any reader can get a clear picture of who the writer is behind the words. This aspect of writing can’t really be taught and it’s essential for a successful fiction writer.

This is the “choke me up” section of the paper (parents will understand):

“My core values are something that I would like to pass on to my kids someday. I feel that everyone’s values show up in who they are and can be reflected in their children. That is the reason why I believe so many of my values came from my parents because they taught me to live a certain way and they themselves lived that lifestyle in front of me. It is amazing how much of an impact parents have on their children.”

For those of you who have yet to hear “Thank you” or “You really helped me” from your children, don’t despair. They may be assigned to write about something like personal values in a college ethics class. When they stop and deeply consider why they believe what they believe, they’ll realize it’s because of you.

Parenting – the most important job on the planet earth.

Hang in there, folks. One day, you could hear the words “well done” from the Lord Jesus Christ – and maybe even your kids.

What do you think? Add to the discussion here.