It’s not wealth, property or an expensive education.
The richest inheritance we can offer our child is our joy. It flows from us when we learn to love ourselves and others.
It’s our laughter. Our delight. Our curiosity. Our awe. Our gratitude. Our acceptance. Our passion. Our playfulness. Our vitality.
It’s the gift of our own life well lived.
“If we have happy parents, we have received the richest inheritance of all,” writes Thich Nhat Hanh, in How to Love.
Being this joyful parent is a daily practice. It helps us repair and maintain the relationships we need to live well, to love fully, to let in and let go, and to rejoice again and again.