“We have, I fear, confused power with greatness.”
(Stuart L. Udall)

Far too often, parents who fear their authority slipping away simply tighten their grip; it’s an effort to convince their children (and themselves) they still hold all the cards. That kind of insecurity, paradoxically, only lessens the amount of influence those parents had in the first place.

Instead, we should focus our efforts on using our power in loving and helpful ways. We should strive to lead and serve our children by showing them the path to adulthood—maturity, patience, optimism, admitting fault, forgiving others, and above all, not getting reactive when things, or people, don’t go our way.

That’s true power.

Peace begins with pause,