Giving Good Gifts: The Spiritual Journey of Parenthood Book

This book definitely passed my "good sense" test. It makes sense. While this was written by a man who has formed a career out of helping juvenile delinquents, he is quick to point out that the rite of passage isn't just for society's lost boys. As a parent of a son, I often worry about how to help him become a man in a culture that isn't designed to help young boys flourish and become adults. As I read, it became more clear to me why my religion does things the way it does. Many of the purposes of the Aaronic priesthood are as rites of passage to guide our young men into adulthood; ready for responsibility and maturity. I am impressed by the universality of the book and it has solidified to me that ritual is important to all of us. It certainly had me planning my daughter's "red tent" ceremony as well as rites for my son. I have already had long conversations with my husband regarding the Hero's Journey, so there wasn't a huge amount of buy-in needed for me to enjoy this book. I thought he did a goo balance of personal anecdotes along with practical applications and resources to create your own ritual and rites of passage in a way that speaks best to you. Not one way will work for all. You have to use your parental intuition to decide what will work best for you and your sons.