There is no greater privilege in living than bringing a tiny new

The teacher and author James Dobson, whose life’s work has been devoted to the study of family and faith, once said: “There is no greater privilege in living than bringing a tiny new human being into the world and then trying to raise him or her properly during the next eighteen years. Doing that job right requires all the intelligence, wisdom, and determination you will be able to muster from day to day.” In these words shines the timeless truth that the greatest task of humankind is not conquest, invention, or wealth — but parenthood, the sacred art of nurturing life. It is the quiet heroism of the everyday, the long labor of love that builds the foundation of nations and the soul of civilization itself.

From the beginning of time, the bringing forth of life has been both mystery and miracle. The ancients looked upon it with reverence. They saw that to create a child was to touch the eternal — to participate, however briefly, in the divine act of creation. Yet Dobson reminds us that the true miracle does not end with birth. It continues every day thereafter, in the long, uncertain work of raising a child — of shaping not only a body but a mind, a heart, a spirit. For the newborn comes not knowing how to walk, speak, or love; it is the parent who must teach them, not through command, but through example. And this, he says, demands intelligence, wisdom, and determination — the trinity of virtues that turns survival into greatness.

In this sense, Dobson’s words are not merely practical advice — they are a call to courage. For parenting, like all noble callings, is a test of the soul. It demands patience when anger would be easier, gentleness when authority might suffice, and persistence when the world grows weary. Every day brings new lessons in humility: the sleepless nights, the doubts, the moments when love must discipline and when discipline must yield to mercy. To raise a child is to stand daily at the frontier between your own imperfection and the hope of something better — to labor for a future you may not live to see.

Consider the story of John Adams, the great American statesman, and his wife Abigail. Though he helped build a new nation, he often confessed that his truest duty was not to his country but to his children. While he was away founding a republic, Abigail raised their son, John Quincy Adams, in the strength of her faith and intellect. She taught him the Scriptures, the classics, and the dignity of service. That son, in turn, became president, scholar, and peacemaker. The world remembers John Adams for the Declaration of Independence, but perhaps his greater legacy was the life he and Abigail shaped in their child — proof that the hand that rocks the cradle may indeed steer the course of history.

Dobson’s wisdom reaches beyond any single culture or creed. Across the centuries, wise men and women have seen that the family is the seedbed of the soul. When the home is strong, the nation stands firm; when the home falters, the empire falls. To raise a child “properly,” as Dobson says, is not merely to teach manners or knowledge, but to cultivate character, to awaken conscience, to guide the heart toward truth. This cannot be done through wealth or power — only through love grounded in principle. The parent becomes both gardener and guardian, nurturing the fragile flower of innocence while shielding it from the winds of the world.

And yet, the task is not without hardship. There will be times when wisdom seems far away, when exhaustion drains determination, when the parent’s intelligence feels unequal to the mystery of a growing mind. But here lies the hidden beauty of Dobson’s insight: that the struggle itself refines the parent as much as the child. To raise another human being is also to raise oneself — to become wiser, more patient, more compassionate. In guiding the young toward maturity, we are led, step by step, toward our own. Thus, the circle of love becomes the forge of virtue.

Let this truth, then, be passed to all who hear: there is no higher privilege than to guide a soul into the light of life. The artist’s canvas fades, the warrior’s victories are forgotten, but the influence of a parent endures in the generations that follow. Do not shrink from the difficulty of the task. Rise to it. Bring to your children your best — your intelligence, your wisdom, your determination — and when you falter, let love lift you again. For in the end, you are not merely raising a child; you are shaping the future, crafting the unseen architecture of eternity.

And so, remember Dobson’s sacred charge: to bring forth life is divine, but to raise it rightly is the true measure of greatness. Therefore, walk the long road with faith. Teach by example, love without condition, and persevere through every trial. For the child you raise well today will be the hope that lights tomorrow — and there is, indeed, no greater privilege in living than this.