One of my girls has been obsessed with How to Train Your Dragon. That is all she wants to watch. It can make it difficult to compromise on a movie, but it has been adorable to watch her passion grow. She runs around the living room, “flying” to the music. She insists on wearing fairy wings everywhere. And when asked if she’s a butterfly, she puts on a big smile. “Nope. I’m a dragon.”
I love her ability to simply be her.
Not only does she prance around roaring like a dragon, not caring what people think, but she also simply doesn’t care what other people are doing; she wants to do her own thing. There can be an entire group of kids chasing each other, and she’ll stand in the middle and twirl, arms raised, looking skyward. Completely unaware of the chaos around her.
Sometimes she wants to join in the fun, and sometimes she wants to play by herself. She’s incredibly curious and strong willed, which accounts for the mischievous streak she acquired from her father. This means I spend quite a bit of time fostering respect and obedience without crushing her spirit. It takes an immense amount of patience, consistency, and prayer. And as much as some days are very rough. The rewards have been worth the investment.
My daughter knows who she is and what she wants. She is compassionate and considerate. She may march to the beat of her own drum, but she has learned how to work within the band. And that’s the cool thing about motherhood. You can learn more about human nature than you ever thought possible, simply by listening to your children.
Jacqueline Pinchuk 