Lately, it seems like my life has been filled with stories, tellers of stories, promoters of stories, and promoting with stories.

First, and most obvious, having a child in the house leads to lots and lots and lots of stories. And as I tell these stories, whether from a book or my head, I find myself asking whether the story I'm telling sends the right message. Does it teach my child a life lesson that is important? Does it teach good coping mechanisms?

Does the story show how to be an adaptable, compassionate and thoughtful person by example?