The Things We Pass On

     I was watching Livia play with her dolls today, and I noticed that she was changing the babies diapers and putting cream on their bottoms. Then, she picked a baby up and rocked it after wrapping it in a blanket. She also decided to share her milk with the babies and it went everywhere. I couldn't be angry because she smiled at me with that sweet hard-to-resist smile. Then, she grabbed up her babies and laid down with them and cuddled them. This is just play time for her, but for me, it is a reassurance that I am doing things right. On a day when I am doubting everything, and what I should be doing in life, she reassured me that I AM doing something important. I am teaching her how to be a sweet, caring person, and that makes me feel so good.
     Have you ever sat down and thought about all the things you are passing on to your children? Emma looks like mommy, enjoys science and is an excellent artist like her daddy. She has both of our sarcastic sense of humor. She has my sweet, sensitive, easy to hurt personality, which on any given day can be a blessing or a hindrance. Jackson has his daddy's funny personality, my stubborn nature, and he was gifted with my bad eyes and his daddy's tendency to shut down and not talk about things when they are going wrong. Livia is a perfect mix of mommy and daddy in the looks department. She is strong willed like me, but has her daddy's big ole brown eyes which tend to get her out of trouble. It is amazing how much of both of us they got.
     I hope to pass on my sense of humor, my willingness to do anything for anyone, and my open minded and non judgmental nature. I hope they do not get my anxiety, self doubt, and quick temper. I hope they get their daddy's talent, kind heart, and joking nature. I hope they do not get his inability to communicate his emotions.
     Sit down and think about what you are passing on to the little eyes who are always watching you. Is it what you want them to have? Some things you cannot help, genetics are hard to change, but you can shape and mold them with encouragement to be good people. Set them up with the right choices. They may not always choose them, but hopefully you will have taught them right from wrong, and maybe when you least expect it, they will use something they learned from you. So next time you see
your little one playing, sit and watch for a minute. Do you like what you see? It can be eye opening.