On Being

It's almost as great to witness something really exciting as it is to do something really exciting. And I don't mean witness as in seeing a lady get mugged in the Walmart parking lot, because that happened this summer and it wasn't great at all. I mean seeing a transforming life process that happens before your eyes.

Let me explain.

Over the last year, in my home, I've seen two amazing young men spill over with gifts and talents and joy. I've always believed that childhood is special because a child IS important; IS a real person who contributes and has value. I don't buy into the "children are important because they are our future" idea. No. Children are important because they are human beings, created and gifted and important because they are whole human beings.

So seeing my boys BE-ing has always been a very sweet gift. I feel blessed to be a witness to their life and growth. They are so much fun to be around! They are so interesting and thoughtful and full of life. Spending time with them is energizing. I love it!

The young adult (known in some circles as "teenage") years are when all the time you've spent with them, building memories and trust and values and love begins to come back in abundance. It is a time when they just seem to get it. Life is what you put into it. They become responsible around the house and grasp the fact that they are here to contribute, not consume. They see, and understand this connection. I think these years are some of the best for parents. We've sown, and now we reap.

My baby is a natural athlete who is loving his sport, and is just as comfortable with a guitar in his hand or reciting Shakespeare in front of a crowd.
My eldest is a very gifted musician who loves what he does, loves people, does useful work in his job and is a wonderful husband and father to two of the most beautiful babes in the world. He has many, many creative gifts that serve him well in making the world a much more beautiful and interesting place.
My middle child (who has never suffered from the stigma of that label) is a designer who creates and makes things as naturally as he breathes. He is always looking at the beauty of the world, at the possibility of a material, at the way that we use and manipulate the physical to become...more.
He is not "going to be" a designer.
He IS a designer, and always has been.
He makes things, and music, for himself, and with complete generosity for others.

They all have deep interest in the world, curiosity and contentment, and a wicked sense of humour. They are all good, good people who bring joy to their families and strength to their communities. They are all intelligent and capable and brave. They had these gifts from birth, I've no doubt about that. I take credit only in allowing these gifts to germinate, and providing what I could to the mix, and staying out of their way.

I look out the window and see the season changing. I look at my garden that produced a lovely harvest. It's good to recognize that potential in all creation for such abundance. It's so sweet to recognize this in our own lives. We don't manufacture the seeds. We just plant, water and get out of the way till the day the harvest comes in. And may I say...the fruit is very sweet.