I was re-reading this passage in Yoga and The Quest for the True Self last night and I was wondering: Am I breaking the cycle or am I in the cycle?

In the postindustrial West, the problems of the disembodied sense of self are pandemic. The reasons for this are simple: Because of the breakdown of the extended family in the latter half of this century, we depend upon the depleted resources of small nuclear families, where hardworking parents may already feel stretched and needy themselves. This nuclear family upon which we place most of our hopes is all too often an impoverished emotional environment for children. Overburdened parents feel fragmented, insecure and in some cases terrified by the needs they feel they should be meeting but cannot. They're hungry to get their own unsatisifed needs met. Given the demands of our culture, how could it be otherwise?

I believe I'm creating a positive emotional environment for my children and I believe that my children are thriving and healthy but I'd be lying to myself if I didn't own up to identifying, to some extent, with this passage. It is hard work to parent as we do without the assistance of an extended family (and I have my mother close by). It is hard work to do everything we feel is best because it does, to a great extent, put our life completely on hold (as far as meeting our own needy demands based on our own insecurities based on our own lack of attached parenting) not to mention the job of paying the bills (because no matter how much money one makes - be it $12K a year or $70K a year, you are still working your ass off to get it - it's the nature of our society). So I read this and I think "What is the best way to break this cycle?" How do I stop this cycle, even a tiny part of it, from happening in my children's lives? Then I wonder if simply acknowledging it is enough... being aware and mindful and trying.