A New Challenge for Thanksgiving

We knew this was coming. Like a freight train, this wasn’t going to be stopped. Nothing could stop it. Old fashioned nature was going to take its course. Only, to our surprise, it came a little bit early.

The day before Thanksgiving, the day after Ana’s birthday, at 2:49 am, we welcomed our new grandchild into the world. Kaia Grace entered this wide open universe with nary a whine or a whimper. Grace seems to be a perfect middle name, as she seems have taken it all in stride; almost as if to say, ‘Well, I was expected, after all.’

This is our Thanksgiving. Thankfulness for welcoming a new, healthy baby girl into the family. Thankful for the reminder of new life, of new chances, fresh expectations. Excited our new mom and dad are excited and maybe a bit overwhelmed. All is as it should be.

She is perfect, beautiful, calm. A tiny form leaping into the great big world, while thrusting herself into her parents’ arms, trusting they will do what is best for her. I know they will. They will not succumb to the easy path of giving in or following the blind majority. They will teach her what is in their hearts, what they have been taught, what they know is the path to self-esteem, to contribution, to making the world a better place. To being human, and to interacting and expressing that to others with truth and strength.

I see in her parents’ eyes the same bewilderment, the same excitement, the same wonder, the same responsibility of now being able to help shape someone’s journey through life. Of giving them tools to cope, and lessons to teach firmly but lovingly. It’s an awesome and exciting opportunity to be able to help someone new through life’s curves, pitfalls, crevasses, failures, to celebrate their successes, their accomplishments, their growth.

Now, my children get to watch their children do what I watched them do. They get to choose when to step in to direct, correct, mentor, show the way, set an example. They will understand as a parent you are always setting an example. Children are always watching, always learning. Nothing we do escapes their noticing.

Upping our game becomes our prime directive. Just like Star Trek. They will ask, as I often asked myself, am I up to the task? Am I worthy to show them what they need to know? Will I be able to teach them the right way, despite my shortcomings?

We become terrified of our faults, rather than working to emphasize our strengths. In every sport, we are coached to play to our strengths. Maybe as parents we should think the same way. Play to our strengths, work to improve our weaknesses. Having a child makes us such better people. We know we have to do better so we can teach our children to be good people, to be better than we are. Every parent’s dream.

Let’s do more than hope our children will be better than we are. Let’s help make them better. Set the bar high for them, and higher for ourselves. They will see that and aim to best us. But let’s also remember perfection may be a goal, but it is what we learn along the journey – the failure, the forgiveness, the humility, the wisdom – that makes us great. That is how it should be.