Ten Things I Want to Teach My Children

In Texas we are deep into standardized testing season for schoolchildren. While my feelings about that whole process are a topic for another time, it has me asking myself what the most important things are that I want to teach my daughters. After some reflection this is the list I came up with.

1. Don't let other people decide your future for you. Your dad is included in this list of "other people". I want what's best for you, but you can't make decisions based on what will make me happy. I've made my decisions about my life; you have to decide what's best for yours.

2. Beware of any group, political party, religion, or person who claim to have all the answers or to know the "true" way. No one has all the answers, and there is no one, true way. People who make claims of having special knowledge will only lead you into trouble. Life is about the journey of finding answers for yourself, and understanding that the answers that seemed so clear at 20 no longer fit at 40.

3. Love your sister. You will have ups and downs throughout your lives, but if you let your sister be your best friend, then no matter what happens, you'll have someone to lean on. Another benefit is that you'll always have a tennis partner.

4. Learn about the world. School will give you limited information, with most of it slanted a certain way. Learn as much as you can about other cultures and beliefs so that you can better understand both the world and yourself. Never forget that there are always at least two sides to every story.

5. There are very few situations you'll encounter in life that can't be made more bearable by a Bruce Springsteen song. Boy bands, Hannah Montana, and Hillary Duff may seem like the greatest musicians in the world to you now, but at some point you'll listen to the Born To Run album all the way through, and you'll understand.

6. There's nothing you can't tell your mother or me, and there's nothing you could ever tell us that would make us love you any less.

7. I'm always proud of you, even when you screw up. This doesn't mean there won't be consequences for screwing up. It means I'm still proud of you even while you're dealing with those consequences.

8. The Dallas Cowboys are the only football team on the planet. If you move to Seattle, Denver, or Tampa, the Cowboys are still your team. If you had been born boys, your names would have been Troy and Emmitt. On the flip side, we hate the Washington Redskins more than Communists, spinach, and math tests.

9. Read everything you can, but definitely the following books: "The Razor's Edge", "The Shadow of the Wind", and "You Gotta Play Hurt". And without fail, the book is always better than the movie.

10. Nothing I'll ever accomplish will be more important or more significant than being your dad. You'll feel the same way when you have kids...after you turn 40 and I let you start dating.