The end of the school year is here and I am faced with the
end of Elementary School for my daughter, Reese. I can’t believe it is here and it seemed like
yesterday we were watching her kindergarten graduation. How can that be
possible? Where did the time go? Am I
dreaming?
Reese, my middle child, fits the profile of the ‘middle
child’ in so many ways: peacemaker, loyal to peers, secretive and maybe
even-keel. I have been reading a book
called, “The Birth Order Book” by Dr.
Kevin Leman. I will just say that this
book is very interesting. It will give
you insight not only to your children, but your spouse and friends, etc. I love what Leman says about ‘middles’, “I’m
not alone in saying that middle children are a mystery.” This refers to the fact that these middle
child profiles are sometimes contradictory depending on the family
dynamics. Well, MY middle child does
seem to have certain mysterious qualities about her!
I guess I am referring to the secretive ways she will go
about her ‘business’. Now, she is very
open with us, but there is sneakiness to some things. For example, you might find a candy stash in
her room at any moment. Another example,
you may take her to get an ice cream shake and then later she has talked her
dad into a trip to Baskin Robbins. It is
no secret that this girl loves food (a girl after my own heart)! She has enjoyed more of an adult palate, has
eaten a variety of food for years and really gets a good tug by her sweet tooth. Reese has been called out by her friends as
‘happily swinging her legs’ during lunch at school. She eats with glee.
As a middle child, Reese has found her niche as the family
comedienne. Loves a good joke. Can seriously take a joke. Thrives on funny
banter. We can count on her to be the
object of a fun prank, and then she can laugh about it almost immediately. When she ran for a student council position
this year, she loved the slogan: A Treat
You Can’t Beat – Vote 4 Reese. Then
wore a hotdog costume for her campaign poster picture! One of my favorite pics is a picture of the
two of us and I have a sign that says: I am with THAT hotdog!
 |
| I'm with THAT Hotdog! |
Reese can be the peacemaker, but then also take sides in
sibling argument exhibitions. You may
not know which side she will take at any given moment. Then she will find herself in trouble for
interjecting an objection or an alibi for one sibling. It is all in the life of a Simpson, you truly
never know what you will get.
We all have our faults, and certainly in my house we have a
few volumes of faults that anyone could file into different categories. I try to teach my kids-and remind myself-that
we can take our faults and use them to grow.
We are all different and this is a good thing! I do have one question, why am I the one who
must kill a bug when the kids find one?
I thought they would outgrow this!
I want some ‘sameness’ here. Don’t
be afraid.
With all seriousness, I do love and appreciate the
differences of my three children. Reese
can be so caring and thoughtful. I can
often see her wheels turning in her head and then she will tell me something
profound, sweet or funny. I love the way
she thinks and her expressions on her sweet face. Reese also seems to have a way with
animals. It is funny that our dog and
cat react to her differently than the others.
Reese does not rough-house with them and they are gentler with her. I love her tenacious mentality when she is
not able to do something well. She makes
up her mind and keeps working. Reese is
not perfect in this category and has experienced a few meltdowns. But I have seen her grow. She is a horse-lover (gets that honest, sorry
Mr. Lizzard), and has come so far in her riding.
I am not sure what the Lord has planned for this child. With each of my kids, I pray for them as they
grow. I want them to be confident in the
Lord and want what God wants in their life. Our job is to teach them, love and protect
them.
Train a
child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. -Proverbs 22:6
It is so hard to do so often! I struggle in this parenthood job more than
any other job I have ever had. This
brings me back to why I am so weepy when they finish significant chapters in
their little lives. Each time they start
a new chapter, I have to let go just a little.
It feels so hard to protect these kids when they are a little more
independent. Not just independent as
they can get dressed and brush their hair and use the microwave, but independent
from needing me. They don’t need me as much to have long conversations or
play. I need to keep reminding myself
that they will always need me. Unconditional love is what I have. Just as the Father loves me in the crappy,
goofy, sinful ways I exist, I love them.
Always.
So cheers to you Moms and Dads out there that become a
little sappy with every new chapter! We
are kin in this way. I will cry. I always do.
(First and foremost, I am not as much of a hugger as I am a CRYER. Know this.) I tear up. There is joy in this! I remind myself to focus on the future. I wrote Reese a letter last night. At the end I told her,
“Daddy and I love you and we are very proud of you. We are so excited to see what God has planned
for you. Don’t think there is no plan,
God has one. Pray about it and seek His
Will in your life. He has claimed you
here:
For I know the plans I have for
you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future. –Jeremiah 29:11”
This is Big Joy.
With Joy,
Tracey
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