What’s in front of you
“First a person should put his own house together, then his town, then the world.” ~Rabbi Israel Salanter
Remember the old folk tale about the cobbler who was so busy crafting shoes for his customers that he didn’t have time to make shoes for his own kids? Sadly, many of us have witnessed similar examples of such neglect in real life today.
The tale inspired what’s now officially known in psychology practices and business circles as “Cobbler’s Children Syndrome.” This syndrome occurs every time we overlook the folks closest to us — family and friends — because we’re preoccupied with the problems of the community at large. Or maybe we’re so busy climbing the social ladder that we have no leisure time left for the family?
Today’s quote reminds us that we must tend to our own little corner of the world before we can save the rest of it. ~CL
Cindy La Ferle
Throughout my career, I've worked as a book production editor, travel magazine editor, features writer, and weekly newspaper columnist. My award-winning lifestyles features and essays have appeared in many national magazines and anthologies, including Newsweek, Reader's Digest, The Christian Science Monitor, Writer's Digest, Victoria, Better Homes & Gardens, Bella Grace, and more. My weekly Sunday "Life Lines" column ran for 14 years in The Daily Tribune (Royal Oak, MI) and won a First Place (Local Columns) award from the Michigan Press Association. My essay collection, Writing Home, includes 93 previously published columns and essays focusing on parenthood and family life.
