Posted By Daisy on July 13, 2010

Today, let’s take a look at the 7 Heavenly Virtues we can strive to embody as mothers and fathers.

1.  Faith

Faith is simply a conviction that something is true, without reliance on any empirical data.  For many, faith primarily means faith in a higher power that will guide their decisions wisely.  For myself, while I do not have faith in a higher power, I do have faith in the inherent goodness of my child.  It’s faith because it’s not empirical.  Sure, often he does things that showcase his good heart.  But when he is not at his best, it’s my faith that he is good, is capable of good, and will ultimately choose to be good that guides my parenting.

2.  Hope

Hope differs from faith in that it is a desire, maybe even an expectation, but not a conviction.  Hope helps us weather difficult times.  So, the baby woke you up 78 nights in a row.  Maybe the 79th is the charm.  Hope keeps defeat at bay.  It keeps us trying, with the expectation that our parenting will pay off with good result.

3.  Charity

There are two senses in which charity can apply to parenting.  The first and most obvious is that charity involves a tremendous giving of ourselves — our time, energy, resources and love — to our children.  Charity is also sometimes defined as  mercy.   That, too, plays an important role in parenting.  The gift of a second chance (underscoring hope and faith) is very powerful for a child.

4.  Fortitude

Fortitude is strength, endurance, resoluteness of purpose.  Drawing upon whatever reserves we have in order to do what must be done.  No parent can do without it.

5.  Justice

Children seem to have an instinct for justice (particularly if they are experiencing something they consider UNjust).  To mete justice as a parent requires an open heart, an ability to hear multiple points of view and take in new information.  It doesn’t foreclose mercy, although we may also find it necessary to demonstrate that there are consequences to ill-chosen actions.

6.  Temperance

Moderation indeed has a strong place in parenting.  Temperance helps us curb strong emotions like anger or impatience, and helps to check our instinct to shower our children with more material things, or activities, or chores than they are reasonably capable of handling.

7.   Prudence

To be thoughtful, careful in judgement, discrete when necessary, and wise — our children count on us to model prudence for them, for without our example it is far too easy to let impulsiveness guide a young person’s actions.

I find it heartening and useful to see this list as a touchstone as I navigate parenthood, and hope that it is helpful to you as well.

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Categories: On Parenting, Yes, I'm Opinionated
Tags: guidance, inspiration, parenting, Seven Heavenly Virtues