The Proverb Chat: Parent Teachings

I go over to my parents house every week and for some reason they always have some kind of 'key lesson' to teach me...which usually is profound because it comes from their experience and of course, an excerpt from probably the Tao. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have family around and also a rich culture to learn from. So naturally, everytime my parents start chatting away, I reach for the closest post it, envelope, napkin, or some kind of writing medium and material to capture the moment/lesson.

The most recent one is along the lines of "a gentleman flows like water while the rest are like honey".

They explained that a gentleman is truly flexible, one who remains the same, never changes for the worst...just like water...he's also soft, yet can be strong when needed. Honey on the other hand, is delicious upfront, sweet, yet stick...relating to neediness....changes in consistency once it is left on the shelf for a while...get's clumpy....and the flavor changes...

So the lesson for me is that water is what I strive for, the rest can be enticing (e.g. money, lust, etc) but water remains the same. At the point when you allow the surface to lure you, you soon realize it is all an illusion.

I'll add my scraps of lessons soon...I usually like to organize in a creative, often chaotic way....so more to come....:)