Comments on: How to Talk to Your 43 year-old Son When He’s Only 13

By: Ed Harnett

Ed Harnett — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:52:24 +0000

James

I love your book, and I have become a promotorof it. It has helped me so much, and it is helping a friend of mine trying to learn a lot for a court case. I am surprised at your Apatheism though, given your love of meaning – such as “intelligence is a tool, love is the point” and your right of passage where you realise there is a point to low IQ beings (dogs) because they love others… But there is so much religious nonsense around that I can understand you giving it a wide birth.

Regards
Ed

[James' Reply: Hi Ed. Thanks!

Apatheism just means I don't care whether there's a god, or gods, or if there were god/gods what would he/they/it want me to do. I can't know the answer to that question, and whatever the answers I might speculate about wouldn't change how I think or feel.

I would be an atheist, except that the flaw with atheism is that it wastes its time denying something that ought never have been proposed in the first place. Whereas I just ignore the question.

None of this is incompatible with loving other people, and feeling kinship with my fellow creatures.
]

By: Family Matters

Family Matters — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:54:39 +0000

Loved it! It’s great to have perspective and this is certainly a way to get it.

Also, I often let consequences teach my kids, especially when they won’t be harsh but they will be clear. It saves so much talking…

Tiny site comment: I stumbled here from StumbleUpon and didn’t know where I was until I made an effort to find out. It may be good to put some identifying details and perhaps your photo at the top.

[James' Reply: You mean, at the top of the blog?]

By: jyotsna

jyotsna — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:04:05 +0000

beautiful writing jim its so strange i just read the story abt ur dog astra in above the clouds and i suddenly found ur blog …its like a completion, sometimes u really need to grow up and have kids to understand ur parents ….when my kids grow up they will probably be more understanding of us

By: Sherry

Sherry — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:53:05 +0000

Thanks for this wonderful post!

By: Luci

Luci — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:08:25 +0000

Wonderful, heartwrenching story. That Matt guy obviously has issues with comprehension. It was beautifully written and from the heart. Thank you for sharing it with us

By: little bit

little bit — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:44:53 +0000

Powerful stuff. Thanks for posting.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:48:03 +0000

Beautiful post. Thank you for the final words, I will remember them.

By: Jeanette

Jeanette — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:37:15 +0000

This is beautifully written. Thank you. What you said at the end resonated with me. Thank you.

“When you speak to your children today, you are also speaking to every day of their future selves. Parenting is outside of time. Take care and take heart in that.”

By: Just Jennifer

Just Jennifer — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:55:00 +0000

This was an awesome post.

By: Justjill

Justjill — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:01:36 +0000

I needed to hear this today.