50 Things to Let Your Son Know

Author: Roger Rubino
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-05-01
Features: Preface If you have the opportunity to write a life guide for your child, compiling some important insights from your own experiences into a small book, what would you do? What would you say? I have often pondered these questions. At that time, I was in a difficult situation, and a faint but clear voice within me pointed toward my son Dylan. He had just turned six. In terms of how to live—how to successfully navigate life, achieve goals, and yet remain kind—I wondered what advice I could offer him. This book is my answer. Essentially, it was born like this. Several years ago, I found myself facing multiple challenges simultaneously, including unemployment, changing careers, and starting a long and drawn-out divorce lawsuit. One afternoon, while I was out running errands, a small but inspired idea came to me in the form of a poetic maxim. It wasn’t a groundbreaking discovery, but rather a simple yet important reminder for myself, something to keep in mind as I struggled day in and day out to keep life going. As a writer, I’m accustomed to paying attention to such things. So, I pulled into a gas station parking lot, parked the car, and hastily jotted down the maxim on a scrap piece of paper (perhaps a receipt or napkin from a fast-food restaurant). The next day, a similar thing happened. I thought of another maxim and wrote it down again. The following week, it happened once more. After that, another maxim surfaced in my mind, as if a deep and powerful voice from within was trying to speak, and my task was to let it be heard. So, I did. Over the next year or so, two things happened. First, I gradually became accustomed to thinking in the form of maxims. Maxims provided me with a ready-made context to express my views on life. Second, I gradually realized that I was recording these maxims not for myself, but for Dylan. The voice within me was gathering the things I wanted him to know and understand later, compiling them into a small personal guide on how to live. This voice answered the question: What would I say? After those crises passed, I looked back at these maxims and examined what I had collected. Some I discarded, while others I kept and continued to refine: I kept editing, rephrasing, and rearranging them until I finally reached a form I was satisfied with. In the end, I summarized 50 maxims. This is why the title "50 Things to Teach Your Son" clearly indicates the content of this book. Now, it is before you. I wrote this book for Dylan, but also for all those like me who occasionally benefit from gentle reminders. These reminders tell us: Life isn’t as tragic as it seems; we exist independently of the world around us; if we try hard, we can let go of the things that hurt us; sadness isn’t meaningless; we can be kind, strong, wise, and happy—all these qualities are already within us; we just need to use them. Life is both complex and simple (sometimes it’s a mystery); what truly matters is here, right now. I hope Dylan will keep this book as he grows up. I hope he will occasionally turn to it in the years to come—out of encouragement, support, or simply curiosity. I hope he will find more in these maxims each time and gain deeper insights from his own experiences. Who knows? When he grows up, that same voice within him might ask the question that gave birth to this book: If I were to write a life guide for my child, what would I say? I can’t wait to see his answer. Fresh, wise, and life-affirming. "50 Things to Teach Your Son" reveals the life wisdom passed down from a father to his son. In "50 Things to Teach Your Son," renowned playwright Roger Rubino writes many profound words about life, love, happiness, virtue, the soul, and even God. This book is a practical guide to life. For children, it is a gift worth treasuring for years to come; for those who live positively, it is a richly thoughtful offering. We can see the author’s heartfelt effort and sincerity. He has given his son a spiritual amulet. He makes every parent ask themselves: What is true love for a child? What is the true wealth left for a child? What is the only immortal legacy left for future generations?