Who You Are

Me: You don't always have to be the best at everything you know.  This isn't a competition between you and the rest of the world. 
Thing 2: Well, if it was I'd be winning.

How can you argue with that?  How can you stamp that out?  You can't squash that kind of spirit at 8 years old.  And why would you want to?  Especially when he's right. 

Thing 2 is like a force of nature. He is a whole season unto himself.  Like the summer, he enters the room radiating warmth; he changes it slowly, hypnotically, certainly until everyone only vaguely remembers what life was like before he got there.  He leaves a distinct imprint and nobody can wait until he comes back again.  I have never met a child with a more solid presence than this kid. 

Now, I've got Thing 1 who I love long after the sun goes down but he doesn't command that kind of attention.  I have to prop him up with cool haircuts and sports to accomodate his introverted personality.  Not that I mind introverts, I love them. Some of my best friends are introverts.  They would almost rather die than put themselves out into the world.  I'm not trying to force the world upon Thing 1 but we are a worldly-like family and he needs practice.  It's gonna come up eventually.

As a mother, I think who you are when you're pregnant with your kids makes more of a difference than any kind of diet thing.  Scared breeds scared, bold breeds bold, et cetera breeds et cetera.  I know, it's an out-there thing to say.  It is a weird combination of nature and nurture. 

I ask you, who was your mother when she was pregnant with you?  Where was she living, did she work, was she happy/sad/otherwise?  Take a look.  I bet whatever your Mom was dealing with at the time she was carrying you has a lot to do with who you are and who you have been in the world so far.