My beautiful youngest daughter is 6 today. 6. I have to let that sink in while I grab my tissue for my tears that are sure to come. She is growing up way too fast, as all moms can relate, and challenging me every step of the way. I would not have it any other way. This spitfire little girls is determined, strong-willed and just like me. I have written about her independent personality before. She is going to be my challenge but she is also going to be one of my greatest joys! This one, with her mindset that she can make the world operate around her, has taught me so much about being a mother. But more importantly, she has taught me how to be a better person. As I celebrate her 6th birthday with stuffed horses, American Girl dolls and Hello Kitty clothing, I pray that she continues to teach me so much more in this lifetime!
6 Ways Raising My Spitfire Youngest Has Made Me Better Person
Accept Others as They Are – This little one is not like my other two daughters. Though she follows most rules, she is quick to challenge any part of them if she wants. In learning how to work around her protests, I am learning to be more creative and give more thought to my response. I’ll admit that I used to get frustrated with her personality. But now that I am starting to understand that it is OK that she is a different type of child than my other two, I am learning that there are people out there that are as well. So she is guiding me to me more accepting of others as they are.
There is More Than One Side to a Person – This little beauty can throw the tantrum of all tantrums over the smallest things and then come in later with a baby in a carriage, a stuffed dog in her arms and tell me an entire story of how she cares for and loves her family. It is one of the most interesting dichotomies of personalities I have ever seen. So by having such a contrast in her personality, she is teaching me that one side of a person is not the whole person. I am learning to think it through and to say, ‘That was not nice, but maybe there is a side I simply don’t see,’ A lesson I think we all could learn!
Patience – I watched a Beyonce interview once when her daughter was a toddler. Her comments was , Lord, Immuna have me a time with this one.’ I am reminded of that often with this one. Though motherhood in general has taught me so much about patience, this one has taught me to have it in an instant. She can go from happy and smiling to peeved and sassing in 13.2 seconds flat. I used to yell right back but am learning that it only feeds her fire. So, while responding in a calm manner, I am teaching her that instant responses are not OK. Something that has really helped me in my personal life as well!
Individuality is a Gift – I used to think that people who went out of their way to be different from the human ‘pack’ were attention seekers. Fishing for comments. All about themselves. This child, with her instant grasp at individuality, has taught me that it is way OK to not be like anyone else. She will be the one leaving the nest early – as I did – exploring her world, changing it as she goes for the better. I used to think that was a bad thing. Now I see out those who mark their own path and applaud them. I am even starting to understand that I am one of those people as well.
It’s OK to Do More Than One Thing at a Time – I have a segmented type of thought process in my life. Though I have to multi-task like a champion, as most people do, I like to focus on one thing and then move onto another. Watching my baby navigate through the day, playing with her babies while also running a vet clinic while also planning her restaurant while booking her beauty salon appointment, I am reminded that it is OK to interrupt one thing for something that may be more important. So if I am having to work while they are at home, it is OK to stop what I am doing, get down on the floor and be the test subject for an experimental face altering scrub she has invented. This realization and ability to multi-task without really letting anything be forgotten has really helped me in business!
Love, Love, Love, Love, Love, Love – This is where I cry, y’all. My daughter, Megan, is my carbon copy, my greatest challenge and my lesson teacher. She is also the brightest star, the kindest heart and the most amazing sweetheart. She is the one who wants to be in my lap, sleep with me, soak up my attention and be the love of my life. She is quick to blame but even quicker to forgive. Quick to cry but even quicker to laugh. Quick to sass but even quicker to care. She has my curly hair, my bullheaded personality and my heart firmly held in her hands. She is simply amazing.
I adore all of my daughters and this post does not detract from the amazing little girls that God so blessed me with. But as my youngest wakes up to her stack of presents on her 6th birthday, I am reminded of the traits that make her unique. The ones that I cherish. The ones that have taught me the most about love, acceptance and patience.
And for that… my sweet Squish… I will forever be thankful…
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