On Passing It On

“Only take heed to thyself, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons.”

“Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee.”

“We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.”

“One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.”

“Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.”

“Let us now praise famous men, and our fathers that begat us. All these were honoured in their generations, and were the glory of their times.”

Children who could answer more questions about their family's history, where their parents grew up, how their grandparents met, showed higher self-esteem and a stronger sense that they could steer their own lives.

Close involvement from a grandparent predicted fewer emotional and behavioural problems in adolescents, and the effect held in two-parent, lone-parent and step-families alike.

“Footprints, that perhaps another, sailing o'er life's solemn main, a forlorn and shipwrecked brother, seeing, shall take heart again.”

“Failing to fetch me at first keep encouraged. Missing me one place search another. I stop somewhere waiting for you.”

“The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: the LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”