The Gifts Within
Every child has many gifts. Some gifts are self-evident and tangible. My elder daughter has always been creative and artistic. She creates beautiful drawings, awe-inspiring photos, and fun and functional pottery. From a very young age, it was clear that my second daughter was a talented athlete. As I am writing this blog, I am sitting at her softball practice watching her slide head-first into home base. My older son was a silly baby and still keeps our family laughing. We joke that he is our young George Lopez. My youngest child is very mechanical and can change a transformer from a robot to a car and back again before I can figure out how to make one move. His grandmother relies on him to put her vacuum back together after she empties it; he is only one who can figure it out. These talents and gifts are easily identifiable and simple to applaud.
Every child has gifts and talents that are hidden within. It is these unexpected gifts that are often the most important. My youngest son, despite his autism and limited language skills, has a kind heart. He is an excellent sharer and gives to others. Before he left his orphanage in China after almost eight years, he stopped to give one of his treasured toys to a little boy who would remain at the orphanage without a family. My older son has found a way to break through his brother’s autistic facade and connect. Although his brother doesn’t understand his humor, he can get him engaged in silly play. My softball playing daughter, has a quiet presence on the field but gently leads her team. She demonstrates sportsmanship with grace. It is these traits that I celebrate over her stolen bases or shortstop grabs. My eldest child’s photos hang in our dining room and her pottery held candy at Christmas time. But her greatest contributions are her listening heart and soothing words. When anyone is troubled by their circumstances or struggling with a life choice, she is always there to listen and encourage. She is nonjudgmental and supportive. It is my children’s intangible gifts that have the most meaning and contribute the most to our world.
The talents and gifts that are within our children are more difficult to identify and less often celebrated. I applaud my children’s hidden gifts – a giving spirit, an intuitive awareness of others, a quiet leadership, and a caring listener. What unexpected talents do your children have? What gifts will you celebrate in your children?
