reflection

When my oldest was 6 years old, he would wake up early every morning and go straight to the Christmas tree.
I would watch from the other room as he stood in front of it and methodically rearranged the Christmas ornaments.
He would stand at stare at the tree for a while and rearrange some more.
After maybe a half hour or so, he would go play.
Every single morning he did this.

Looking back, I see his analytical brain already at work.
I see a kid who was already becoming a bit of a perfectionist.

I remember talking to my mom on the phone, telling her about it.
She chuckled and said one simple sentence,
“He gets that from someone I know.”

Me
He gets that from me.

There are times when we see ourselves in our own children.
Sometimes it is a good reflection.
Sometimes it’s not so great.

And in each and every reflection we see of ourselves in our kids,
There is a tendency to want them to be a far better version of us.
We want them to avoid the pain we felt,
And learn from our mistakes without having to make them for themselves.

We desire for them to be wiser, happier,
More caring, more at peace,
Have the most promising future…

To be better

And in that desire, may we continue to be a good example to follow
By becoming that better version of ourselves we desire for them to be.