My kids have ALWAYS been smart . . . I'm sure every parent feels that way and even though I never drove around town with one of those dumb ass bumper stickers on my car announcing to the entire world that, "My Child is On the Honor Roll", or "My Child is Smarter Than Your Child" or whatever I always knew MY kids were much much smarter than anyone else's kids in the entire population of Long Island.
Oh sure there were times when I would ask myself if I had indeed given birth to a kumquat or an egg plant when one of my three would do something so amazingly stupid, (usually it was the youngest that managed the greatest feats of stupidity), but all in all the three of them are about the smartest people I know.
My oldest child has pursued a career in Mathematics and works on things that I can't even pronounce no less compute. He has always been driven to not just succeed but to excel in everything he does. I love that he also manages to be a totally awesome dad and husband with a great sense of humor and compassion for those less fortunate than him. My daughter is a genius at being a mom and she is a natural leader and organizer when it comes to teaching and parenting. Her compassion and generosity overflow into all she does and her ability to get things done is outstanding. I love that she has taught her children to think of others before they think of themselves.
And then we have child number three who is by far the one who never ceases to amaze me. This kid has always been the one who just rolled with what ever was going on with his two older siblings. He was the fifth wheel, the roll-away-bed in the motel room, the one who has no baby pictures to speak of because he was number three. I spoiled him as a child because he was "My Baby" and his father would often shake his head in frustration when I made excuses for this kid.
Little did I ever know that under that happy little face this child always felt insignificant and small. I knew he had an inferiority complex and I tried to boost his confidence as much as possible but I guess I didn't do all that great a job because I know he has struggled with "finding himself" for many years. (Something I can identify with.) But in my eyes and the eyes of his siblings number three was super smart and lots of fun . . . He just didn't believe it.
Until now . . . This smart "boy" has just published his second book and I am blown away with the insight and wisdom he shares in it. The book, "Forever Forward" is the story of how he has changed himself and his life for the better. As I sit reading it I see the person that I always knew was there, it was just a matter of hm finding that person. All the things that he refers to in the book are things that I have struggled with and probably things that his siblings and many of us struggle with also. But this child has taken that extra step and shared his journey with us.
I am super proud of all of my children . . . the fact that they are so awesome in spite of growing up with a nut case for a mother is amazing in itself but write about it . . . well that just knocks my socks off.
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