At my OB appointment last week, the doctor informed me that I would need to make an appointment to go back in two weeks instead of a month, because I'm officially in my last trimester. Most of us know that drill, but I was genuinely surprised by the reminder that I will be meeting this little guy sooner rather than later. It has been hard for me to remember "how far along" I am this pregnancy, as my focus has been on just getting to my due date.
All weekend, I have been pondering the precious lives of my children. How can we not, given recent current events? Our weekend was totally relaxed and free of activities (besides Mass), so I had plenty of time to sit with my husband and watch my children dance and dig in the dirt. They really are amazing! And, I began to wonder what their little brother will be like.
We have been given unique souls, each made in the image of the eternal God, entrusted to our tender care. Wow. Each child is special in his/her own way. Their eyes are different. Their laughs are unique. We know each one's footsteps. We know each one's cries. Sure, there are similarities, given their DNA, but their entire person and personality are solely theirs.
Do I give each child the attention due his/her uniqueness? Do I look at each child with fresh eyes? Do I listen with new ears? Do I speak with an original tone? Do I truly appreciate each individual child as a separate soul? Do I recognize the gift every one of my children is every single day?
This is my desire, to truly recognize that each of my children's needs are different, and that while some things may need to be the same for the sake of family harmony, I do need to treat each child uniquely. As Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians, while we are all a part of the Body of Christ, we all have different gifts. In fact, the Lord has forced me to look at my own individuality in recent weeks, and I can see His mercy in leading me to see my children in the same light.
Part of why we homeschool is to embrace individual learning styles and personalities, but for many reasons, our awareness of these in our children can easily slip away. Think about each child as an individual this week, and avoid the herd mentality of our culture of conformity. By focusing on these precious lives, perhaps we can atone for some part of the sins of our country and reaffirm a culture of life.
