Friday, August 2, 2013

Awkward Mom vs. Legacies


My Children-

By now you have figured out that I did not gift you with height. If any of you are basketball players, then they have changed the rules significantly. There are many other things that I failed to pass on to you. In no particular order:

1. Grace.
2. Self-control around cheese.
3. Self-control around most foods.
4. Drawing ability.
5. Singing ability.
6. Most of the creative abilities.
7. Smarts; book and street.
8. Strong cheekbones.
9. Any sort of spelling knowledge.
10. Skin that tans.
11. Perfect vision.
12. The restraint to stop talking once in awhile.
13. A strong sense of rhythm.
14. Flair.
15. The desire to put down the book.
16. Culinary skills of any kind.
17. Athletic ability.
18. Coordination.
19. That seamless way that some people can fit into any situation without sticking out and looking weird and awkward and like they are a 13-years-old at a mixer with no one to dance with.
20. The sense to end embarrassing lists before #20.

Now, thankfully, your father's genes cancel a lot of this out, and your own magical abilities to make amazing creations out of little to nothing will take care of the rest, ensuring you all happy lives doing earth-changing things as easily as you will change tires. (another skill I did not pass on to you.) Sometimes I wonder what my purpose in your lives is. I mean, OK, so I got you here more or less on my own, with an early contribution from your father. I feed you. I help you dress on occasion. I change the Netflix channel. I drive you around. I prepare you to leave me. But again, you are all doing so much of that yourselves. I want to arm you for the big world, but as the above list states, I don't have a lot to arm you with. But maybe if I look hard, you know, like really search under the couch and stuff, I can find a few things. OK, I'll try. Here, take this with you:

1. Passion; unfocused or not, it still propels.
2. A delight for what the world has to offer.
3. A delight for all the people the world contains; weird or not, they will always make sure you are entertained.
4. The willingness to look foolish. It is always worth it.
5. The willingness to try.
6. An appreciation for artists and all the beauty they create; art isn't art without someone to look at it.
7. Endless curiosity.
8. Kindness.
9. The knowledge that falling down isn't the end of the world.
10. Humility.
11. Compassion.
12. Knowing that looking cool is a waste of time and usually gets in the way of having fun.
13. Not being so self-conscious; everyone is worrying about their own stuff and not looking at you. I promise.
14. Flexibility. (No, I don't mean the physical kind.)
15. The lack of desire to put down the book.
16. A willingness to taste anything; trust me, the green stuff is great.
17. Knowing how to be a great friend.
18. Collaboration.
19. An understanding of how it feels to be left out and different and awkward, so that you will be the one to walk across that room and ask that other odd soul to dance. (It is always worth it.)
20. The sense that you are you; flawed, human, totally and completely lovable.

I am sorry and you are welcome.

I love you,
Awkward Mom

OK, I might have given you the tiniest bit of flair. 



2 comments:

  1. Definitely flair! Cutest bunch ever! (though I still don't know how you manage three. I'm WAY over my head with two!)

    I say, who needs most of List #1 - List #2 is where it's at!

    ReplyDelete
  2. List #2 is where it's at! :)

    ReplyDelete