Dalai Lama

Last week I went to see the 14th Dalai Lama at San Diego State University where he spoke about compassion. He specifically talked about compassion toward our children in that it is more important for our children to be happy than sad. It is better for our children to laugh than to cry. This might spin obvious, but when it was stated in this way, I began to think about it a lot. I began to be more mindful of my actions toward the kids, and I came to realize that it is more difficult than one might imagine because there are so many things that complicate a day. One small incident at work can completely change my attitude toward everything, including my children. When that happens, it is important to be mindful of making my children happy. It can be a real test to take both kids into a grocery store and walk out just as relaxed as when we walked in. Parents know what I'm saying. It is difficult to be mindfully happy and compassionate. The old man with the smart words has given me something honest to work toward: making my children more happy. And that task is more difficult in practice than it seems on paper.