Saturday, April 2, 2011

B is for Blossom

Day Two of the A to Z challenge. Last night in my bed, I went through a list of potential B words for today's post. The word that kept circling back to me is "blossom," thanks to my wonderful Mom.

"A child will blossom in his or her own time."

When I'm worried about one of my kids struggling, my Mom will share that lovely thought with me. It has been 14 years since she first comforted me with that belief. I don't worry about my kids reaching developmental milestones in a certain time frame. I don't measure where my kids stand academically or emotionally compared to the "average" child. If you let yourself patiently wait for your child to blossom, they will surprise you with the beauty and strength and individuality that surfaces right before your eyes.

All of my 4 kids have blossomed in different areas in their own unique ways. No cookie cutter kids here or anywhere. Think of this beautiful world filled with kids (and I'll add grownups too) who are blossoming anew naturally and individually. That's the kind of garden to make you smile. Happy Saturday!

29 comments:

Ella said...

This is beautiful; I wish more parents would share your view. I see so many kids, tugged, forced and pushed into activities, that aren't their choice. We need to remember, we all have to find our way. I was detoured when I was younger, by death.
It caused me to follow a path, that really wasn't my own. I so love this post; Thanks for sharing~ @>---

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

I always let my children follow their own way, for instance my youngest son was was soccer crazy since he was young so when he left school it was no surprise he wanted to be a soccer player.....not I supposed what his dad wanted but we wouldn't stand in his way. He became a pro a few years later until a series of injuries forced him to hang his boots up, He is now living in Spain but still soccer crazy.

An excellent blog and a pleasure to read.
Yvonne.

Cindy said...

Mine are too young to have much of a preference for activities, but I try to keep in mind that they will blossom at their own time when people ask about milestones-- my older girl walked at 13 months so I tell them I'm not concerned when the younger one isn't walking yet at 12 months. Heck, I didn't really reach puberty till 16, so I won't be surprised if they grow up a little slower than most kids.

Lovely post :)

Jillien said...

this was a beautiful post, and so incredibly important. It can be a dangerous and debilitating thing when a parent is constantly trying to strive for "average." God's plan for us and for our children is beyond our own imaginations. We will surely fall short when we try to bring about our own dreams as opposed to allowing God to implement His.

JM

Post Script: Ive missed reading your works! but i'm feeling like I'm back to being myself. You'll be seeing me around my friend.

The Words Crafter said...

I work in daycare and I see parents pushing their kids to perform like Suzy or Billy all the time. It's sad!

I'm glad you have this perspective and you're totally right!

Vicky said...

I am keeping the image of blossoms in my mind today, thank you. Such a great reminder when it comes to our kids. It reminds me of the tv show Blossom and I never saw that correlation with her name until now :) I just thought it was a "quirky" name. You're so good at these Kelly! Blessings on your day!

sema said...

Hi Kelly,

Thank you for the powerful message to remember when we feel that our children are not living up to our expectations.

Blessings for abundance,

sema

Valerie said...

Wonderful post, Kelly.

Wanda said...

Lovely post and such a great mom to recognize the importance of letting each child bloom in their own time & special way.

Carla said...

What a beautiful thought! Thanks so much for sharing. I have two children right now who get along great and are as different from each other as night and day. It's amazing. Different as they are, I just want them both to grow up and be happy, well-adjusted, and able to contribute to society. ;)

Carla

T Rex Mom said...

Such a wonderful piece of wisdom. I'll be passing this along. A friend and I were just having a conversation about this recently. i wish I had to say. Now I do. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Such a beautiful post. Kids need to be kids and grow in their own way. I'm very proud of mine :o)

Jenners said...

That is a wonderful saying! I love it and shall use it myself. Thank your mom for me.

jewels in the garden +: ) said...

Kelly, what a wise mom you have! That saying is a keeper, thank you for sharing it. I just noticed you on my followers list and came over to see who you are and it's wonderful to meet you!
Julie

Soooz Burke said...

My beautiful daughter has just celebrated her 30th Birthday, she is the light of my life, and has been since the day I knew I was pregnant, after being told I could never have children.

She has "Blossomed" into a rare and wonderful human being, capable of giving and nurturing to all that enter her life.

Thank you for your delightful post, and for stopping by mine on the A-z challenge. I am delighted to be a new follower.

Laura Josephsen said...

This is a wonderful perspective to have, and an excellent reminder for anyone--especially parents. :) Thank you!

(Swinging by from the A-Z challenge via a comment on your blog. Thank you for stopping by!)

Hyacynth said...

Kelly, what a wonderful thought to ponder; your mom is so wise!
{It's been awhile since I've visited -- hope you'll accept my appology for not being a very good blogging friend lately! I hope you've been well.}

I love the Write with Pictures idea! Do you know Alita from Alita Jewel's Treasures? http://www.chenzmo.com/wordpress/wp1-admin/ Her photos inspire me so much ... maybe she may be a good contributor. :)

Thanks for your sweet note on my blog tonight. You always know how to bring a smile to my face.

Ellie Garratt said...

You don't know how happy I was to read this post. Parents put too much pressure on their children to conform to certain epxectations or to match their peers with achievements. So wrong.

A beautiful post!

Ellie Garratt

Anonymous said...

Cute B word. Blossoming and blooming are very positive things to be. :O)

Robyn Campbell said...

Lovely post, Kel! No cookie cutter kids here, either. And that's a good thing?? Just kidding. It is! :-)

I know so many kids that NEVER have any down time. That is JUST SO WRONG! Loves ya. (Still in the bed.) :(

Unknown said...

I love this! If I hear one more mom try to compare her kid to mine or other kids I am going to let loose with these words of wisdom

Anonymous said...

Loved your b-word post :) My children were allowed to blossom as unique flowers too, and it hasn't been a disappointment to me, either.

Gerri said...

Quite lovely and so true. It is really important to remember that and I would agree that is is not just in their own time but in their own way too. ;)

He & Me + 3 said...

I just realized this weekend what great kids mine are blossoming into. I was so proud of my daughter at a birthday party the other day. all the other girls were running around crazy and being disrespectful and she was so well behaved. I just sat back and watched. So proud.

Michelle said...

I love this idea of our children as a garden, blooming with their own talents and beauties. And it never does happen on our schedules, does it? :) Or the same schedule for that matter....

Paul C said...

Blossom is a wonderful metaphor, vibrant and natural. It's great to see our children blossom after some good tending.

Charlotte (Life's a Charm!) said...

This post is so profound and meaningful for me.

"A child will blossom in his or her own time." I should remind myself this all the time!

Kim said...

I think this is such an important message especially for some of us newer parents. Like Teresha says, we get so caught up in comparing we're missing the whole point. Thanks for this reminder Kelly!

Angela said...

Beautiful post, Kelly, and a reminder that is timeless. Love this so much that I'm going to post it up in my house. :)