This is not going to be a long post because I would never be able to accurately convey how important this book has been to my mama heart. The book speaks for itself. So in short: if you are a parent or would like to be someday, you need this book. As in, get on Amazon and buy it right now. It’s become my parenting Bible. My teacher and guide. A source of comfort as it has confirmed what my heart and soul naturally felt. It’s breathtakingly beautiful. It’s ancient wisdom retold and interpreted in modern language by William Martin. And boy does he do a stellar job. It’s the only book I would say a parent needs. And it would make a beautiful gift for new mamas and papas.
If you’re not familiar, I’ll quote William Martin here for a fast snapshot. “The Tao Te Ching was written more than twenty-five hundred years ago. It’s authorship is shrouded by legend but is attributed to the legendary Chinese sage, Lae Tzu. It is a book of practical advice for leaders and philosophers, attempting to express glimpses of the inexpressible Tao, or ‘The Way/The Way of Life.’ His work has become the most widely published book in the world next to the Bible.”
This version is Martin’s take of the Tao as he reinterprets it for parents. As he says, “The great themes that permeate the Tao, such as unity; responding without judgement; emulating natural processes; and balancing between doing and being are central to the health of loving parent-child relationships.”
The book is poetic, mystical and profound. I promise it will speak deeply to your mama or papa heart. And I promise you will come out on the other end feeling validated and inspired to be the best parent you can be. For me, it’s not just been something to read once. The book is organized in easy to read, short prose and poems so it’s a book to come back to time and time again. Earmark things that speak to you. Learn from it. Let it guide you. Let it make you a better parent. Open your heart to it and keep it by your bed when you’re having a hard parent day and let it calm and comfort you that tomorrow you can begin anew. And above all, let it deepen your relationship with your children.
