Is Parenthood a Mirror?

     So, I need to ask the question this morning of whether having kids allows us as people to see our foibles and our strengths reflected back at us?

• While we watch our kids struggle with their life challenges, do we perhaps better understand our own improvements that need to be made in endeavors on the path? 
• Further, do our kids, in being wholly different beings than us perhaps show us, at times alternative ways of doing things? 
• Do we get to see the active experiment of doing things another way that sometimes succeeds and sometimes fails? 
• Or, do we see our kids also fall into a rut of engrooved processing with the same results but no way of knowing how to stop the insanity to do something different? 
• Do we then in our grandchildren see yet another approach worthy of study?

Yeah, deep thoughts....they get me in trouble all the time.

On the lighter side, I wonder if our canine or feline children also reflect these aspects to our mind.

So, I brought my youngest to work today. Right now she is whining because she wants me to let her explore the building on her own...I was thinking about what I see in my dogters as I drove to work today.

In Ginger, my eldest, I see my enjoyment of life and chillin. Just lay back, let someone rub your tummy and cuddle with those you love. In her though I also see my fierceness. Don't you freakin dare come into my yard...don't you get up in my space. And, if you do, once I smell your hand I will probably wag my tail and say "let's play" or "RUB MY TUMMY"

In my middle child I see the "gotta solve problems" "gotta fix whats wrong" "gotta make the peace" aspect of myself. Even if Robin and I are play arguing, Onyx is there trying to give kisses to console, trying to make everything calm....when sometimes the "fight" is really what is needed to get to the other side of the conflict, of the pain, of the sticking point. My middle child is also goofy and likes to smile....something I do ....but too often only privately.

And my youngest child, a Dragon Princess like her Mommy. She wants to run, to explore, to tackle the world. And yet, when the world boldly says "OK, here I am....what you going to do tough girl" she turns tail and yelps menacingly out of fear....out of not knowing what to do, of perhaps some element of jealousy that others can and do and that she might be left out.

And so, once again, I reveal too much...perhaps.
Let's try something different though, I may react out of times out of emotion like the youngest, but let's take the calmness of the middle child and say "OK, I own it. I am here smiling"

And, I need to get back to work.....
Some pics though to wrap up this entry...

Ginger - eldest

Onyx - middle

Cinnamon - youngest

Cinnamon - peeking under my desk