Hello friends!
Young writers come in all varieties.
If your family is anything like mine, there are a variety of personalities growing up under one roof. The “variety” that concerned me most during the back to school season was always my introverted writer.
When the other girls were laughing, she didn’t seem to get the joke. While the playground was full of kids playing kick-ball, she was sitting on the lawn. When kids were making locker-partner plans, she couldn’t wait to get home—and back to her notebook.
I tried to rig things to make it better. I listened for social cues and tried to teach her how to be included. I signed her up for after school programs and hoped she’d find a place to fit in. I always had a keen ear for the best teachers and requested every one.
All of this kind of helped. And kind of didn’t.
In retrospect, I think what my introverted writer needed most was a mom who could chill.
A mom who didn’t think things needed to be “better” but who believed everything was just as it should be.
How amazing it is that she doesn’t follow the crowd! What brilliance to be comfortable being with herself! How awesome that she is quiet enough to hear her own thoughts!
Here’s what I’ve discovered: creativity, real creativity, comes at a cost. Often that cost is that our child–our beautiful, wonderful child—will not be exactly like the other kids. But then again, isn’t that what makes them so wonderful? Do we really want it any other way?
As parents, we are ever at the ready to do things to help our children. And we shouldn’t stop! But the best help we have to offer is our complete acceptance and celebration of who they are. Right now. Nothing is wrong. Each day is exactly right.
Best wishes for a beautiful new school year,
Carrie
