My children are the reason I laugh, smile and want to get up

The words of Gena Lee Nolin, “My children are the reason I laugh, smile and want to get up every morning,” shine with the ancient truth that the deepest joys of life are born not from wealth, conquest, or fame, but from love. In this simple statement lies a wisdom as old as the first families: that children are not only the continuation of our bloodline, but the renewal of our spirit. They awaken in their parents a laughter unforced, a smile unbidden, and a reason to rise each day with hope.

The ancients often looked upon their descendants as the true measure of their life’s worth. Kings built monuments, but they also longed for heirs who would carry their name. Farmers tilled their fields, but it was for their sons and daughters that they sowed. Mothers, even in the most difficult of ages, bore the burden of life with the courage of love. Nolin’s words echo this universal truth: that to awaken to the sound of one’s children is to awaken to life’s highest calling.

History offers us countless testaments to this truth. Consider Marcus Aurelius, emperor and philosopher, who despite the vast weight of empire, often wrote tenderly in his Meditations of the importance of family. His empire could crumble, but his desire to instill virtue in his children remained steadfast. Or think of Abraham Lincoln, whose letters reveal that amid the anguish of war, it was the memory of his lost son and the laughter of his surviving children that gave him the strength to endure. Great leaders and humble souls alike have found their greatest reason to live not in crowns or battles, but in the love of their children.

Nolin’s declaration also reveals the transformative power of parenthood. Before children, one may rise for ambition, for desire, or for duty. But with children, a new light dawns: the realization that one’s life is now tied to the well-being of another. It is in this shift that the heart discovers a deeper joy, the joy of giving without measure. The parent laughs not only at their own delights, but at the innocent humor of a child; the parent smiles not only for personal triumphs, but for the smallest achievements of their little ones.

There is also in her words the recognition of responsibility. To say that children are the reason to get up every morning is not only to honor joy, but to embrace duty. For children depend upon their parents not just for food and shelter, but for guidance, for love, for example. In this way, children are both gift and task, both comfort and challenge. And yet it is precisely this balance that gives life meaning, for struggle is made sweet when endured for the sake of love.

The lesson here is eternal: the greatest treasures are not found in possessions, but in relationships. To those who are parents, Nolin’s words are a reminder to cherish every laugh, every smile, every moment of joy, for these are the riches that endure. To those who are not parents, her words still carry weight: for the same principle applies to all bonds of love. Whoever it is that makes you smile, whoever it is that gives you reason to rise each morning, hold them close and honor them as your true wealth.

To practice this wisdom, begin each day by remembering for whom you live, for whom you labor, for whom your heart beats strongest. Give them your presence, your time, your laughter. Do not let ambition or distraction steal from you the moments that matter most. For in the end, as the ancients knew and as Nolin reminds us, it is love that gives life its meaning, and it is in the faces of those we love that we find our truest smile.

So remember, O children of tomorrow: whether through children, family, or beloved companions, let love be your reason to laugh, your reason to smile, your reason to rise each morning with courage and joy. For these are the bonds that will outlast all monuments, and this is the wealth that time itself cannot take away.