Nature

I came across this picture the other day. It's a great illustration of three little people with very different personalities.

Mr. Man is on the left. He's the spitting image of his Bapa and mimics his every move. If you could see him put on a hat and adjust it, you'd envision him as an old farmer who'd been doing it his whole life.

Ms. Serious in the middle. She's usually pretty stoic... although in the last couple of weeks she's found her voice. This child can get your attention. I'm definitely not used to the screaming. Ugh.

And on the end is Mr. Let-the-Good-Times-Roll.  He is the life of the party. There is so much joy in him, it just seems to burst out in every direction. Containing it isn't an option.

I love how this picture shows all of their personalities. It makes me think about Nature vs. Nurture.

As parents, Monte & I are challenged to support and encourage their uniqueness while instilling in them universal values that will guide them through their lives. It's their personalities that color each of their worlds (and ours too). It's the personalities that will make each of their journeys very different.

I'm excited to think about the adults they'll become. For now, I'm content to enjoy each of their differences. Each of their similarities. I'll revel in the mimicking. The seriousness. The joyfulness. (I'll try to get used to the screaming.)

Most of all, I'll remind myself each day that they'll never be this small again. They'll never be exactly the same as they were today. I'll remind myself to enjoy every second of the time I have with each. Drinking it all in, carefully tucking away the memories to remember tomorrow.