Preparing Our Children for the World

By Sri Harold Klemp

When my daughter graduated from high school, I was so grateful. As a child’s graduation approaches, the parent often says, “Please, God, let it happen.” When it happens, the parent says, “Truly, I have much to be thankful for.” We love our children.

I’ve never been one to hold on to my daughter. I always wanted her to grow up. Ever since she was five, I’ve told her, “Being a kid isn’t any fun. You’re going to have me on your case all the time. By the time you’re eighteen, I’ve got to make sure that you know how to fit into this world. I’ve got to make sure you know your way around. When you do something, you need to know what this society expects from you. I have to make sure that by the time you reach eighteen, when you do something wrong you don’t say, ‘Gee, I didn’t know.’”

We as parents are teaching our children to become aware, throughout their childhood, of what it means to be a responsible person in society. In the same way, it’s my job in Eckankar to show those people who come to the teachings of ECK how to be responsible and mature spiritual beings.

Excerpted from What Is Spiritual Freedom?