Part of the joy of raising seven children with my wife Jennifer is seeing them grow in wisdom. At eight years old, my son George made a poster titled, “It’s all about George.” He listed his best friend, his favorite food, and his plan to grow up to be a “flasafur.” Since I am a professor of philosophy, this last point delighted me.
And, at eighteen, George did declare a major in philosophy. Like me, he fell in love with the thought of Saint Thomas Aquinas.
Several months ago, our family group chat got a text at 2:34 in the morning from one of my daughters. “Anyone up right now and can call me?” I just couldn’t summon the willpower to call. I felt like a bad dad.
But then I hear a voice from the other room, a kind, sympathetic, and loving voice saying to his sister, “What’s wrong?” It’s George. I hear him as he listens and sympathizes with her.
I realized that he had come to embrace the truth: It’s not all about George. It’s all about seeking the highest Wisdom and living the sacrificial love of Christ. George is becoming a true philosopher.
