The greatest lessons can be learned from our little people, our children. In my case, they’re not so little anymore (ages 15 and 17), but over the years my children have enriched my life in so many ways, including teaching me some very important lessons. In general, children see possibilities where cynicism has caused us to go blind. They find hope in circumstances that life’s upsets and fumbles would cause us to give up. They dream big. They have fun. Unfortunately, “adulting” and all that comes with it has left some of us jaded and it may become necessary for us to take a step back and look at life through the hope-filled and unadulterated eyes of our children.
My son, Zy, is currently in the last semester of his senior year in high school. Yes, a SENIOR! It blows my mind to think about it. My daughter, Chris, is 15 years old and a freshman in high school. They have grown up so quickly on me. I often find myself thinking about our journey, the wisdom that I have strived to instill in them, and the ways in which they have made me a better person. Here are a few lessons that I have learned from my children.
- Chris is my explorer. She is not afraid to travel and to experience new things. Where did she get this from? I have no clue because I am such a home body. She has always inspired me to get out, travel more, and to not become complacent with my current situation.
- Zy is my competitive child and a team player. He has been an athlete since giving soccer a try at the age of 6. However, once he got that first try at football (age 7), it was football all the way. He loves competition, loves winning, and has always shown great loyalty to his team. I gave him the option to switch high schools when he was on the way to 10th grade, but he said “no, this is my team. I have to stick with my team”. Proud mommy moment.
- Chris has taught me to love my natural self. A major priority for me, as a parent, has been to teach my children to know who they are and to understand their worth. It’s a beautiful thing to see your daughter grow into her confidence. Chris embraces her natural beauty. She is my favorite naturalista and she has inspired me to ‘go natural’ after having my hair relaxed since the age of 9.
- Zy does not give up. For those who are not familiar, check out the story of my son’s accident HERE. Prior to his accident, we all just knew that Zy would be highly sought after by colleges to play football, but sometimes life throws curveballs. I have always impressed upon my children the importance of having a plan B, but Zy has not missed a beat. He never fell victim to self-pity, always remaining optimistic about his future. Though he has not given up on the idea of playing college football, he has fully embraced his plan B, becoming a fitness expert and opening a fitness center. It’s always hard when you see your children having to experience major setbacks, but this is when they get to put in action all of the lessons that we teach them as parents.
Because of my children, I travel more and I have become more open to new experiences. I was motivated to take my goals off of the backburner and pursue my blogging and modeling careers. I am more confident in my own abilities and beauty. I could go on and on about the ways in which my children have caused me to widen my horizons and to check my perspective when it comes to certain things in life. I look forward to witnessing their growth into adulthood and their bright futures. I know that a lot of you who are reading this are parents, educators, aunts, uncles…in what ways have the children in your lives taught you lessons? Comment below.