One of the things I struggle with as a mom is the desire for my girls to be the best at everything they do. This is hard for an over-achiever like me--I want them to be at the top of everything in which they are involved. I have been slowly giving this up--esp. over the past year.
Hope is an extremely well-rounded child. She truly is good at almost everything she does, but she has developed a fear of trying something new because she might not be the best at it. This, of course, stems from the messages I have sent her over the past 8 years. I'm working at changing that. I truly am at a place where I would rather her enjoy what she is doing and only be okay at it than to be the best at something she doesn't really care about. I know, as a mom, this is what I SHOULD do, but it's not always reality for most of us. I can now say it is my reality.
It's been freeing. I no longer compare her to the girls she plays soccer with or the LEAP kids at school or even her friends' kindness. I've learned to accept her talents and gifts and rejoice in the things she enjoys.
Art is one of those things. As her mom, I think she is incredibly talented in it, but more than that, she LOVES it. So, it was so rewarding to her a few weeks ago when her artwork was chosen to be displayed in a district-wide art show. It was so fun to see the joy she had on her face and the way she was trying to be humble about it ("Mom, I didn't even think that piece was very good, but Ms. Griffen did.")It was fun to celebrate with her and wait in the 30 minute line to get in to see her work, as well as have a fun dinner and get a new shirt.
What I hope she will remember from this is not the fact that her work was chosen to be one of the best, but that she enjoyed putting the detail into the project and did her best work. And that her family celebrated her.
1 comment:
Oh, her first "gallery showing" -- how exciting! And how great that you are her biggest fan. That is what she will remember more than anything!
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