August 6, 2014

We're Going To Be Friends


Last Sunday, while camping in New Hampshire, Little Smith convinced me to follow him through the woods behind our campsite and photograph all of the mushrooms that he had discovered earlier in the morning. I let him lead the way, watching as he'd walk several paces and then pause to carefully scan the ground before pointing, or kneeling and pulling aside leaves to uncover his treasures. I was impressed that he had the focus to spot them in the first place, and even more mystified that he could retrace his random path to relocate all of these beautiful mushrooms. 

Pride always feels slightly misplaced when it comes to children, much of these qualities that make my heart swell have nothing to do with me, it's just who this kid is. He has amazing attention to detail, he's super focused and passionate about his interests, and that can make for a lot of drama and difficulty on the wrong day... but on the right day, it can brush up against brilliance. 

I can't claim any credit for his skill or temperament, but I do feel satisfaction at having instilled in him an appreciation for nature. As a parent, I consider myself the first teacher to my children. In another classroom, his laser focus might be aimed towards some sweet video game skills (and obviously those days may be ahead of us!), but we took him to the woods and let him wander free. Through simple observation, he communicated that he understands and shares our values. At least that's the way I see it. So yeah, I'm feeling just a little proud.

4 comments:

  1. This post perfectly illustrates why you are such an amazing mother!

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  2. "it can brush up against brilliance" Beautiful words. I love getting to see little glimpses of their personalities. Thank you for sharing!

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    1. Thanks so much. It is fascinating to see their personalities emerge. I know they are always shifting, but so far his has been remarkably consistent :)

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