Denzel Washington just gave an incredible commencement speech at New Orleans' Dillard University. His main advice for the graduates? "Put God first in everything you do."
"If you say no, you better mean it. By changing your mind, your child has gained more than a piece of candy; they've gained the knowledge you can be broken down easier than a cardboard box."
"I was worshiping at the altars of control, success, convenience, and let’s just say it—reputation. But my son refused to bow down. And I was furious."
"One day, they wouldn’t want to cuddle. They wouldn’t rush outside to meet me at the truck door when I pulled into the driveway. They wouldn’t require my kisses to make pain go away, or need my help reaching the tangles in the back of their hair."
"'What if we stop asking for so many toys in the store that we don’t need? Would that help?' my daughter asked. My heart broke at her comment, so sweet, so naive, and I also felt burdened by Mommy Guilt."
"Our children will most likely never know the tears we cried behind closed doors, or the prayers we begged for in the middle of the night. Until they have children of their own, they won’t understand that our hearts break when theirs break, maybe even harder than their own."
"I fed my child to a lion... My attempt to raise a child who was kind, compassionate, inclusive and all these amazing qualities we are told makes us great parents, made her prey."
