Highlighting Greatness

As I read through yesterday's post it seems that I have a difficult and exacting bar to which I hold my children and the truth is that I do.  I never ask them for more than they are capable of doing, but I do hope to highlight the greatness within each of them by expecting them to display it. 

SugarBear is often an interesting blend of my darling husband and myself.  Watching one's own traits within their children can be eye-opening.  He questions everything, as do I.  I'm sure it drove my parents mad, but it lead to my love of the law and education in general.  He is athletically gifted, as is my darling.  However, he doesn't realize he is gifted and expects everyone else to do what he does with just as much ease and struggles to be patient when they are not able to keep up.

LoveBug's strong leadership skills were first revealed when he started a school cafeteria wide food fight at age 4.  It is a memory I go back to often to highlight the positive attributes of his personality.  He is often so much like my darling husband that they could be genetically linked.  They are both strong willed and think that when someone says "no" that it applies to everyone else, but surly not to them.  If it were not for that single personality trait my darling would not be so much of the man that I love.  He meets every challenge with resolve and curiosity and I see our little LoveBug growing in the same direction.  Each day that I parent our little one I respect my darling's parents even more for that which they overcame to grow him into the man he is today.  I have no doubt that was all part of God's plan. 

In the regard of being like one's parent without a genetic link, HoneyBunny is so much like me that I often understand his anxiety and hesitation more than he does.  Isn't it amazing that God put us together?  I get him.  I know that he will be hard on himself and never want to accept second place at anything, but that we will have to encourage him to keep trying new things because he will not seek out new experiences for himself.  He stands back from the crowd and watches.  He evaluates.  He calculates and then he makes his move.  Some will see it as manipulative and it can be, but others will see his thoughtfulness and charm.    I wouldn't be surprised at all to see his name in the headlines one day.

As for our little JellyBean, he is the glue that sticks us together.  He has a bit of each of his brothers in him and very small touches of his dad and I.  He is still young and his personality is only beginning to emerge as he finds the words to express his thoughts.    Like his oldest brother he is kind, like his oldest middle brother he is in the middle of everything, like his youngest middle brother he charms everyone he meets, like his mom he is happy to be alone at times and like his dad he lives for the moment.  Most importantly, he loves without question or reservation.

They were each born with greatness within them and it is my job as their Mom to help them uncover it, nurture it and refine it.