Gems

I love all of my children all of the time, but it is true that relationships--like the people involved in them--go through phases.

The child who was an easy baby is not necessarily going to be easier at thirteen than his brother, for instance.

One child will be an exasperating climber while another delights you.  A year later, the climber will have stopped pushing limits and the other child will be tantrummy.  If you're lucky, one child will sit contentedly in the background while another demands constant attention.  It's just the way it goes.

Life turns in cycles.  People go through phases.  Relationships cinch closer, then loosen, kind of like the ebb and flow of the sea.

One of my children has recently stepped into the role of Helper Supreme.  A week ago, she was asked to take on extra duties while her older siblings were out of town.  She managed those tasks well, making herself the family's hero of the week.  

Her stepping up must have produced a permanent change.  When the three days of need were over, she stayed a super helper, cleaning up the family room in order to have a friend over.  

Saturday, she stepped outside to help her dad clean out the garage. Despite 100-degree heat and flushed cheeks on her part, she stayed with the project, and the curb was filled with items the family has grown past. She had a lot of opportunities to bow out, but did not.  

The next morning, we found that a violent overnight wind had blown boxes--some of them filled with packing popcorn--off our careful stack and down the street.  Way.  Down the street.

My husband and I pulled on clothes and headed out to pull back the damage.  

There was this daughter, right beside us, in her tee shirt and jammy bottoms, picking up boxes and popcorn just as much as we were.  Our next door neighbor's lawn was covered with popcorn.  She helped me pick it up. When I thought we had collected all the damage, she thought she saw more boxes even farther down the street and went to investigate.  Another half block away, she did find more boxes--with our last name on them, no less, and thus saved us neighborhood embarrassment.  

The thing is, she was as grown up in this as my husband and I were.  She just stepped in and pulled equal weight with us.

It seems to me that my children are like jewels lined up on a mantel top.  As time passes by like sunlight, it shines through each of the gems in turn, showing off their brilliance and special gifts.  I appreciate all of my children all of the time, but time gives me the opportunity to view each of them and fully appreciate their colors and beauty as they shine in their own particular phase.