Today is the 14th birthday of our oldest daughter Micah.
One of her teachers has assigned a project on doing a coat of arms for each student to do with pictures, shapes, and symbols that represent who they are as a person. I was so awestruck by the characteristics that our daughter chose to describe herself, the greatest obstacle that she had overcome, the gift she would like to give the world, and the symbols she chose to tell her story.
Micah had insight into herself as a person that I as a forty-something year old don't even have now: She described herself as a wise, curious person with her best trait being her sense of humor which pervaded everything she did. She felt it was this balance that gave her a unique style of leadership and a joyful style of living.
She gave specific examples to above, most movingly to me was in regards to her wisdom.
Micah had insight into herself as a person that I as a forty-something year old don't even have now: She described herself as a wise, curious person with her best trait being her sense of humor which pervaded everything she did. She felt it was this balance that gave her a unique style of leadership and a joyful style of living.
She gave specific examples to above, most movingly to me was in regards to her wisdom.
It was this summer, when my company was in the last throes of bankruptcy and I was an utter emotional mess. Micah reminded me that our family was my treasure and that we could get by with very little as long as we had each other. Her great mix of humor and wisdom also also helped me keep perspective when she told me that I should be happy "at least I was not an obese dwarf without a face" having just been on one of her Discovery Health marathon kicks!
I asked Micah what the black dot surrounded by groupings of red dots meant on her coat of arms. She told me that had been her greatest obstacle overcome. Last year was a very lonely year for her....it was the year of not having a place or fitting in anywhere with anyone. It, as we all know, was the year of character building and deciding if you will be a clique girl or not. Micah is the oldest in her class so she may have gone through this self discovery period earlier than many others in her grade. I'd imagine this year, some of the other girls may have a black dot year. Perhaps Micah will remember and at least turn it into a brown dot year for them. Yikes the teen years were tough!
Lastly the gift her give the world...Micah is a physician in the making. Between Discovery Health, requests for parts and pieces from the butcher to dissect at home, to wanting to dress her sister's wounds, I think Joe and I may have someone to care for us in our old age....yeah! My poor mom will only get a bag out of the deal. Micah would like to find cures for as many diseases as possible as her gift to the world.
Okay now, don't let this all fool you. My darling angel has just gotten off of restriction for leaving her sister at the pool on her very first babysitting gig, throws typical teenage fits, can be truly selfish and awful at times, hates almost anything I touch and say "isn't this cute", and is constantly texting God knows who.
I asked Micah what the black dot surrounded by groupings of red dots meant on her coat of arms. She told me that had been her greatest obstacle overcome. Last year was a very lonely year for her....it was the year of not having a place or fitting in anywhere with anyone. It, as we all know, was the year of character building and deciding if you will be a clique girl or not. Micah is the oldest in her class so she may have gone through this self discovery period earlier than many others in her grade. I'd imagine this year, some of the other girls may have a black dot year. Perhaps Micah will remember and at least turn it into a brown dot year for them. Yikes the teen years were tough!
Lastly the gift her give the world...Micah is a physician in the making. Between Discovery Health, requests for parts and pieces from the butcher to dissect at home, to wanting to dress her sister's wounds, I think Joe and I may have someone to care for us in our old age....yeah! My poor mom will only get a bag out of the deal. Micah would like to find cures for as many diseases as possible as her gift to the world.
Okay now, don't let this all fool you. My darling angel has just gotten off of restriction for leaving her sister at the pool on her very first babysitting gig, throws typical teenage fits, can be truly selfish and awful at times, hates almost anything I touch and say "isn't this cute", and is constantly texting God knows who.
However, in getting a glimpse of the woman my little girl is becoming I am humbled to think that she will put me to shame as a far better human being than I can ever imagine having been. I am truly in love with my children and have been given the greatest gift by having been given a few years with them before they fly away.
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