When I finished my first book in 2013, My Children’s Children: Raising Young Citizens in the Age of Columbine, there was quite a bit of discussion in my family about the title.1 Nobody quibbled with the subtitle (about raising citizens under the specter of the Columbine High School massacre and its aftereffects). But what does “My Children’s Children” mean and why choose such a seemingly obtuse title? Well, My Children’s Children has subsequently become the title for my website (www.mychildrenschildren.com) and has been incorporated into the logo that I use for my blog and other outreach efforts. So, an explanation is in order.
But some background is needed first. Back in 1993, I heard the clarion call of health care futurist, Leland Kaiser.2 He demanded that hospitals take a much more active role in their communities outside of traditional healthcare. While some of the audience rolled their eyes over his somewhat evangelical approach to his message, I found myself in rapt attention. He had a message for me though I have to admit that it took me several months to really hear it and understand it.
“For anything that happens in our community,” Leland Kaiser said, “each of us as individuals and your hospital as an entity need to say, ‘I am the problem, I am the solution, I am the resource.’” Those were pretty simple words, but the message was powerful for me. I have to take personal ownership in the issues in my community (I am the problem), I have to work with my fellow citizens (I am the solution), and I need to be willing to devote my continuing energies to the community (I am the resource). Those 12 words became my mantra and catapulted me headfirst into community activities.
As a geneticist and pediatrician, I always felt that I was making substantial contributions to the community. But was I really contributing as an individual or was I contributing as a physician keeping my “proper professional distance?” When I answered the question honestly, I knew it was time to roll up my sleeves and really get involved. Numerous projects subsequently occupied my community activities, and I was active and involved. Then Columbine happened in April 1999.
I subsequently penned over 160 op-ed articles for the local newspaper about what each of us can do to make a positive impact and embrace the role of citizen. I articulated the Five Steps to Community Improvement and have been promoting these since in my writings and engagements. I am committed to bringing these forth to all in my sphere of influence.
- Learn to be the best parent you can be – Parenting is the toughest job in our lives and is always an on-going process. We can always improve our parenting and consequently our children. Parenting is the key to having good citizens.
- Get involved – Remember the words of Leland Kaiser (“I am the problem, I am the solution, I am the resource”) for what is happening in our community.
- Stay involved – Sometimes it’s easy to get involved but true commitment means staying involved. Be willing to adapt to change and be part of the process.
- Love for others – Intolerance, hatred and poor conflict resolution will not exist if we exhibit love for others.
- Forgiveness – We need to be able to forgive others for their mistakes and forgive ourselves for our mistakes as we move forward. Without forgiveness, we are stuck in a cycle of inadequate conflict resolution never moving forward.
As I expounded on each of these steps over the years that followed, I felt a calling to put the material into a book and spread the message. And then the real challenge occurred – what to title the book? I chose My Children’s Children for the four reasons below.
- My writings have hopefully had some lasting impact on my children. My two sons are well into adulthood, and I am so proud of their advocacy for others and their realization of their responsibilities to seek out and help others. Their empathy for others has shone bright and will continue in the years ahead.
- I now have two granddaughters. These young ladies, truly my children’s children, will hopefully heed the messages of their parents and carry the beacon forward. I am proud to light the flame.
- Pediatricians often consider their patients their own children. Parents place great trust in pediatric care givers, and in turn, these caregivers do treat their patients like their own children. I have always treated my patients as I would want my own children to be treated, medically and emotionally. So, it is not a stretch for me to say that my writings were directed at my patients (“my children”) and their children to come (“my children’s children”). I have hoped that these writings provide some guidance in the years ahead.
- Lastly, my career has had many facets – young pediatrician who was deeply committed to excellence in diagnosis and treatment, young medical geneticist excited by the new practice of clinical genetics and its burgeoning science, middle age pediatrician realizing the need for a greater role in community advocacy, middle age medical geneticist providing genetic education guidance for my pediatric colleagues, and senior pediatrician coming full circle to provide administrative support for my fellow pediatricians engaged in pediatric training and to directly provide clinical care to a very special group of patients and families – children with complex health care needs. And, during this last period, I also realized that the vital role of advocating for children, of advocating on behalf of families and of advocating for community improvement is never done. I must be the voice for all children wherever and whenever I can. So, my writings are also aimed to support all children, not those even under my direct care. I also consider them to be “my children’s children” (the children and their subsequent offspring, the next generation).
My Children’s Children was therefore chosen as the title to give a voice (sometimes more of a shout!) on behalf of my children, my grandchildren, my patients and their children, and all children. The title and now logo are meant be somewhat provocative (sparking a Huh? What does that mean?) but really more of a call-to-action. This call-to-action should excite us speak out on behalf of all children and to know that all children are our children. Actions to improve the lives of children improve the lives of all. The safe, stable, nurturing relationships that are so vital to our developing children really only exist when we act on behalf of all children, all of the time. I challenge you to realize that my children’s children are really our children’s children.
- Saul RA. My Children’s Children: Raising Young Citizens in the Age of Columbine. CreateSpace, 2013. 225 pp.
- https://www.kaiser.net/kaisers/the-kaisers/