raise my son to be empathetic, understanding and compassionate

Oh! This is a big one! I know there are so many pieces to this puzzle. He needs parents who love him and love each other. He needs to be surrounded by positive influences. He needs to be treated with the patience, love and understanding that I want him to learn. I’ve always believed it takes a village to raise a baby but I have no village! Until my 30’s I had such anger issues with my own mom… but as I’ve grown older and started my own family I’ve come to learn that maybe she just did the best she could with what she had. I know I have to take care of me, and keep learning and growing myself, to have the tools necessary to keep him on the same path. My family is so full of self-destruction and self-pity. I want him to learn early that positive influence is SO important, not to survive, but to THRIVE! I want him to understand that he has choices. He can be whoever, whatever he wants. My biggest goal is to help him to WANT to be empathetic without feeling weak; to be understanding without being sad or tortured; to be compassionate and want to give himself and his time to those who aren’t as fortunate; and to have balance in his life. Heavy sigh. Wish me luck!!