Our Unique Gifts

When I look at my children I am in awe of their uniqueness. They have transformed the way I look at individualism and personality. My three boys although they may look similar on the outside they are remarkably different on the inside. And I couldn’t love it more. 

They are individuals. They have their own way of thinking. Their own sense of humor. They have unique strengths. And a variety of weaknesses. 

My oldest is not afraid to take charge and lead people. (Could be first born syndrome) But he is comfortable speaking up and making a decision. He loves to consume information, of all kinds. Especially the gross, disgusting facts in the world. He has an amazing memory and loves to challenge his brain. He also loves to create in the kitchen and try new things. 

My middle is my easy going, incredibly social creature. We were at subway one time and an obvious grandmother had come in to see one of her grandkids and was giving them a hug. Oakley at the age of 2 threw down his subway sandwich and ran over to this stranger to give her a hug. That is my Oakley. He will talk to anybody and loves physichal contact. He loves to snuggle but he also loves to wrestle and play physichal sports. 

My youngest is my work driven farmer. He is one of the most loyal guys I’ve ever met. His best friends are girls and he adores them. He does everything throughout the day for the little women in his life. He aims to please (most of the time). He love to do dishes, stack wood, and scrub toilets. He’s busy and would take working over playing any day. He loves to build things, and pack bags. 

Sorry proud loving momma bear went off for a moment. I love these kids can’t you tell. But I digress. 

I have an incredibly strong belief that we are designed uniquely. That we are born with special talents and gifts that are exclusive to us and us alone. 

I also believe that we are meant to be here on earth with these talents and gifts to do good in the world. To understand ourselves to the sticky center of our soul so we can becomes the best version of ourselves. 

That we can develop

Embrace

Love 

Evolve 

And Become. 

That is our individual calling in our lives as a human here on earth. We are to recognize these blessed gifts that we have been given and use them for good in the world. 

One of my favorite gifts that is unique to me is my huge capacity to love EVERYONE. I am starting to embrace this gift more and more and recognize it as a unique gift to me. It is special to me and I want to use it for good in the world. So I love more, I love deeper and the more I do the more I see, well me. 

Our church, The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints (long name, I know) has a wonderful program for the children and youth where the children by 8 years old begin to set goals for themselves in four different areas. The areas are social, physichal, spiritual, and intellectual. I absolutely love this program, I wish it was around when I was younger because it gives these young, confused, unsure children and teens the opportunity to find out more about themselves. 

We struggle in life because we don’t have a deep understanding of who we are and who we are meant to be. It can show up sometimes in the way we change jobs on a regular basis, or move from place to place, or change our majors or careers. 

When we come to know ourselves we have a clear path forward. We continue to develop as the best version of ourself so we can use our gifts and talents to help the world around us. We use these gifts in our work outside the home, we use our talents in our home to help our family, in the community. 

I feel a responsibility to help my children identify and embrace there unique talents and gifts, but first I must understand my own. Because the more I see me, and who I am the more I can help use my gifts to help my children. It is this beautiful process where the more I see me, the more I can see my children right where they are, and who they are. 

I will tell a quick painful side note. As a new mom with a first born son I was unknowingly trying to make him a certain way. I thought he had to behave a certain way, be interested in certain things. I was inadvertently shoving him in this box. Probably because I didn’t know who I was, as a mom or anything really and because I was uncertain of who I was, I was trying to be certain of who he was. 

Yes, I know. This all sounds so wrong. But I’m being transparent so you can see what sometimes happens when we don’t know who we are and who we are becoming. 

You are unique, you are special. You are designed with certain talents and gifts that are to be used to do good in the world. To do good in your home, your career and our family. Use them, love them and become the youest version of YOU!