Memoir Writing Prompt: Let’s Consider Personalities.
I look back at the seven years of homeschooling our children as my most chaotic and rewarding time. Looking at this picture from 1992, I now see the unique personality of each.
Aaron (7 years old) tried a few months of first grade. He had fun initially, but when he returned from a 3-day hospital stay with 36 hours of intravenous Prednisone for his asthma, he had problems sitting still in class. The school marked him as ADHD. The prescribed miracle cure: Ritalin. Instead, we opted to home school. Being the oldest, Aaron tried his best to keep the other two entertained and out of trouble.
Emily (5 years old), always a deep thinker, looks at me as though she is studying my every move. A chatterbox, Emily asked many questions. It helped that she talked as I did when I was a child—what they called “dutchy.” Most people couldn’t understand her, which saved me much embarrassment. It’s strange that Emily is not smiling here, because people usually noticed her smile and heard her giggle before they saw anything else.
Kyle (2 years old) never waited for directions. He forged ahead on his own. Who knows what he is doing in the picture? Maybe counting buttons. No doubt that’s why Emily is not smiling, because he is doing it all wrong. But Kyle never cared about doing things right. He just needed to be “doing.”
At the time of this picture, I was 43 years old. I compared my life to that of a circus ringmaster’s trying to control three rings at the same time. I endeavored to keep up with the younger homeschooling moms who ran their children to dance lessons, baseball practices, and every field trip imaginable. Before I had children, I had managed a sales force of over 400 people. Surely, I could handle three little ones 24/7. Instead, I felt like a failure. And yet, I loved every minute of being with them and prayed they would forgive me if we missed one or two field trips with their friends.
I don’t think I completely messed them up. Today, Aaron owns a computer business with many employees who he manages and perhaps entertains to keep them productive. Emily, a surgeon, still studies and questions all things but loves delving into making people well again. Kyle aspires to own an upscale bar and restaurant someday and continues to forge ahead and learn life in his own way.
I now know that God saw each child’s unique personality and brought them to where they are today, in spite of my tripping and stumbling through parenting.
Memoir-writing prompt: Have your children grown into their personalities? Find a picture of your children when they were young. Look deep into their eyes and write about their personalities—both then and now.
And remember: Have fun writing for your generations to come.
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