Parents The most difficult, joyous and rewarding endeavor is to raise a child well. Being a good parent tests your ability to grow as a person, to feel and show love and to understand the joy and wonder which comes with discovering the world together with a tiny companion. Being a good parent is not based upon how much money one has or how big a house you live in, but how full is your love and how deep is your patience. Parenthood is best when it is a team effort, for the strength needed to be a good single parent is incomprehensible to most people. As a team, each can look to the other to help pull the weight. Marvel at parenthood, for it will strengthen and center you. Be good examples for your tiny companion. Hug, touch and kiss freely. In your relationship, pay the same respect to your child as you would have paid to you. Dismiss the notions which others have as to how you should be with your child. Instead create your own relationship based upon love, trust, dignity and joy. The resulting companionship and wonder which will carry you through all your days.

P H O T O    E S S A Y BEING FREE Table of Contents Readers Comments Download Lilac's Book Return to mighty

Lilac's Book. A book for my daughter.    By Bill Orton. Lilac's Book has been on     continuously since January 3, 1997. Anyone may have a FREE copy of the entire text of Lilac's Book by going to the Download page. Back in 1994, I wrote this book, largely in random order, as a gift for my infant daughter.   When I finished the first version of the book, I made photocopies and handed them out to anyone who was interested.   In 1996, I converted the text of the book into web format and thanks to the gracious and steadfast support from this mighty site, the book has been on Hippyland continuously since January 3, 1997.   As far as I can tell from webstats over the past few years, about 3000 people a year are visiting the page to download the full text of the book.   If just a portion of these visitors are downloading the text, then this free book is now in the hands of thousands of people.   This makes me feel that the gift is not just for Lilac, but for thousands of others, most especially for the teenagers and young adults who so often write to me trying to figure out their place in our world. BEING FREE  |  Table of Contents  |  Readers Comments  |  Download Lilac's Book  |  Return to HIPPYLAND  |  Photo Album Who IS a Hippy  |  The Price of Freedom  |  Following Your Own Heart  |  It Wasn't All Beauty & Lightness  |  Contact Me The original print edition of Lilac's Book © 1994; web editions © 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001.