When I first began to write . . . I needed to use the time before they said, Mama—and that was always around five in the morning.

nurture trumped nature,

“But I was too busy reading books to be bad.”

The primary language of children is behavior.

LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY (THE ONLY THING THEY REALLY WANT)

live an honorable life treat our spouse well (and respect our marriage) teach our children to be honest and reliable refrain from spoiling them

How we do anything is how we do everything is the lesson parents have to pass along to their kids. Leaving a mess isn’t just a mess—it shows that you’re a mess.

glory and accomplishment are of far less importance than the creation of character and the individual good life.

Will you haunt them or guide them?