My sisters and I often tease my Mom about the extreme enthusiasm she has for us kids. How many times can that woman walk into one of our freshly cleaned bedrooms and exclaim, “WOW!!! This is amazing, did you clean this all by yourself? Wow, wow, WOW!!”?
You would have thought she had never seen a teenager complete a lay up on the basketball court before, “where did you learn to RUN like that? And those moves! What a game!”
You would think after years of watching us bop around a volleyball court she would be accustomed to how we play, but after every game (and she attended every one) we would get a version of her usual, “I mean you move with such grace! And those SERVES, wow! You are a star out there!!”
And she really believed it. From writing poetry and drawing cartoon characters to track meets and school projects, we were stars and she was in awe every single time.
When I became a mother I found myself talking the talk. I don’t know if you’ve seen the kind of coloring my daughter has been doing since she was four, but there’s an artist in there that she comes by very naturally!
My eight year old filmed a video following a storyline she put together for her toy figurines and then edited the video using an app on her ipod. I don’t know what I was doing when I was eight, but I most certainly was not EDITING my own videos!
And my six year old son beat his older sisters and our big kid neighbors in a foot race last weekend and didn’t break a sweat. He wasn’t even wearing shoes!!
Everyday these kids astound me with their talent, their imaginations, and their humor…and just like my Mom I can hardly mask my own enthusiasm.
They are stars and I am in awe every single time.
Singing their praises is a legacy I can’t help but carry on.
Kat M says
Your mom sounds like somebody who should be copied. It must have been wonderful to grow up with a mom who was such a supportive and positive influence in your life. Sadly, I do everything I can to NOT be like my mother so that my kids can grow up with confidence in themselves and their achievements.