For my son’s preschool graduation, my aunt sent him the book “The Golden Rule” by Ilene Cooper. We read it to him and I didn’t realize that the quote “DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU” is actually known as the Golden Rule. This is the perfect book for your child. This entire book is a teachable moment. It doesn’t just preach the Golden Rule, it explains it. It explains it from the perspective of a child.

I enjoyed that it not only discusses the meaning of the Golden Rule but it gives you the different interpretations that the various world religions have on it:

Christianity: You should love your neighbor as you love yourself.

Judaism: What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow humans.

Islam: Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you.

Hinduism: This is the sum of the duty: to do nothing to others which would cause them pain.

Buddhism: Do not do to others what would hurt you.

Shawnee Tribe: Do not kill or injure your neighbor, for it is not he or she that you injure; you injure yourself.

Here’s the thing they are all saying the same thing. It may be said in a different way, but the meaning is the same.

We should all look at the Golden Rule as a way of life, because when I look around many of us, including myself, have forgotten it. I look at the way some people treat each other and it disgusts me. We all need to step back and remind ourselves that we should treat each other with love, respect, compassion and forgiveness for it’s because of this lack of love, compassion, respect and forgiveness that our world is in the situation it is in.

It starts at home with our children, teaching them this. We as parents need to emulate this and show our children what love, respect, compassion and forgiveness will get us. The Golden Rule starts at home, it starts with treating ourselves, our children, our partners the way we want to be treated. I know that I’m guilty of it at times, being short someone, or my son or my husband. We all need to remind ourselves to take a step back and think how would we like it if someone treated us that way? Even if they do treat us with disdain/disrespect that doesn’t mean we need to perpetuate that. Why not pass along love, it goes much farther and makes us all feel better.

May this blog inspire you to remember the Golden Rule and teach your children it. It all starts at home. How can we expect the world to change if we don’t start it at home?

Please follow me via Facebook, Bloglovin, Pinterest or Twitter.

Happy Friday & Weekend Everyone!!!!