Individual Awesomeness

Every once in a while I receive a wonderful gift.   I'm given the rare opportunity to spend one on one time with one of my children.  When these moments happen, I'm always a little bit surprised and amazed to be reminded how cool they each are.  You see, when you have all three of them 24/7 and you're just trying to keep everyone clean, fed, and where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there, when they are begging for drinks, snacks, books, shows and fighting over toys and attention, when you are begging them to do their homework, get their coats, put away their shoes...the truth is their individual awesomeness is sometimes forgotten. 


I treasure having our one on one time and it doesn't happen as much as I would like.  Having uninterrupted conversations and being reminded how their mind works is fascinating.  Each one of my children is strong willed and confident, intelligent and funny.  You can see this when they are together, but you can appreciate it so much more when you have them alone.  The other day I was thinking about some of their unique qualities that I admire most, those qualities I wish I had possessed more of myself at their young age and here are a few I'm most envious of.


Loretta will always fight for her right to party.  She looks at everyday life and sees something spectacular, something worthy of celebration and will lobby endlessly for that celebration.  Loretta sees beauty and drama in everything around her, from her collection of rocks to the spent helicopter seeds she turns into pixie dust.  If it were up to her, every single day would be a recognized national holiday.  Loretta knows how to celebrate every moment, every breath.


Caroline has conviction of self.  When she is faced with a decision, she makes it quickly and with adult like confidence. She doesn't ask for or want your opinion. She believes in herself and her ability to choose what is right for her.  So, when she tells you she doesn't want to ride the pony at the fair, you can be sure she won't change her mind on the drive home and cry and beg to be brought back.  The truth is, she won't waste another second thinking about it, she won't doubt herself.  And, when the time comes that she is ready to ride that pony, she'll ride with no preamble.


Sam has an iron will and zero fear.  He believes that he can do absolutely anything he sees anyone else do and that he can do it; faster, harder, higher, messier, sillier, ....you get the picture.  Sam is always game to play, no reservations, no glances back to see if mom approves, just all out "let's do this!" enthusiasm.

So, here's wishing you and me the ability to have confidence in our decisions and ourselves, to not be afraid that we can't do something AND do it well and to have the ability to find a reason to celebrate every single day.