In a world where I (usually) drop the same kid off at the same place every afternoon of the week, I have one kid that doesn’t fit the mold. She’s my “dabbler”, the one who hasn’t found her “thing” yet and instead spends her days trying out lots of different things.
During her year of being 11, she tried gymnastics, ice skating, tennis, sewing, drawing, woodworking, sculpting, paleontology, geology, drawing, and probably a few things I’m forgetting. And she’s done well at all of them. Because this girl is capable of anything.
I won’t say she’s persistent and refuses to give up, because that’s not the truth. My confident, eager little toddler has struggled with believing in herself for a long, long time. We’ve spent years trying to overcome her negative self talk and convince her that with a little hard work and believing, she can do anything she puts her mind to.
I will say, though, that her self-doubt has never stopped her from trying something new that interested her. She has regularly walked into new classrooms and programs, on her own, without hesitation.
She is sure of who she is as a person and doesn’t care what other people think. Since she was a toddler she has made friends everywhere she goes, and that has not changed. She has a network of friends that she doesn’t get to see regularly but who she manages to keep in touch with, no matter how far away they are.
I know she often feels lost in the shadows of her siblings who have rigorous gymnastics practice schedules and who regularly get attention on competition days. I know she feels left out in those moments. I know she feels “less than” in our family sometimes.
But someday I hope she can see how essential she is to this family. Because she was first, and she will always be the big sister. And even though her activities and big moments aren’t video-tapable, it doesn’t matter. Those aren’t the moments we will cherish.
We will cherish how she loves dinosaurs, and Harry Potter, and Greek Mythology and the vast amount of knowledge she has taught herself on those topics. We will cherish how she cares for her brothers and sister when they are struggling. We will cherish how she always steps up to help with even the not-so-fun tasks around the house. We will cherish how she is leader of our family, not only by age and size, but by a natural leadership ability that is going to take her wonderful places in this world.
I have a pretty good idea where some of my kids will end up in life, what direction they will go. And it’s exciting to see them working towards those goals at such a young age.
But this newly 12 year old is a wild card. I have no idea where the future will take here. But that makes walking along side her even more exciting, because every step with her is a wonderful surprise. And I know no matter where she ends up, she’ll do great things.
And whatever dreams she comes up with, she’ll achieve. Because she’s not just a great kid, she’s already a great human person.
