Life Lessons: 90 Guidelines for Living

By James Garnham

At age 49, 11 years after his first wife's death, James Garnham's son Mathew was born. Given James' age at the time and knowing that life journeys can end unexpectedly early, he thought about what he would want to say to Mathew if he was no longer around to say it. Written over an initial period of 10 years until Mathew was 15, and refined subsequently, the Lessons capture in 90 brief statements the key values James and his second wife Susan sought to convey to their son. There are 18 Sections: valuing life; stages of life; learning; self-reliance; good attitudes and behaviour; responsibility to contribute; people [the pluses]; people [being cautious]; leadership and working in groups; achievements; men relating to women; women relating to men; love and loving; sex; being a parent; responding to life's challenges; spiritual life; and finally, death. Although initially written for Mathew, it is apparent that the guidance provided would be helpful to both sons and daughters.

• Language: English
• Publisher: James Garnham
• Release date: Nov 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393352990

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Dedication

To my lovely wife Susan and our son Mathew whose presence in my life is a daily inspiration and comfort.

About the Life Lessons

At age 49, 11 years after his first wife's death, James Garnham's son Mathew was born. Given James' age at the time and knowing that life journeys can end unexpectedly early, he thought about what he would want to say to Mathew if he was no longer around to say it. Written over an initial period of 10 years until Mathew was 15, and refined subsequently, the Lessons capture in 90 brief statements the key values James and his second wife Susan sought to convey to their son. There are 18 Sections: valuing life; stages of life; learning; self-reliance; good attitudes and behaviour; responsibility to contribute; people [the pluses]; people [being cautious]; leadership and working in groups; achievements; men relating to women; women relating to men; love and loving; sex; being a parent; responding to life's challenges; spiritual life; and finally, death. Although initially written for Mathew, it is apparent that the guidance provided would be helpful to both sons and daughters.

Biographical Notes

James Garnham recognises three phases of his life to date, the first being 24 years in Australia, the second 21 years in Scotland, and the third, so far, 33 years in New Zealand. These phases sequentially provided him with ever-widening experiences upon which he drew when writing these Life Lessons.

Born one of identical twins in Melbourne, Australia in 1942, James Garnham attended a