This past year, our triplets turned seven. It was the first time in seven years that we did not have a birthday party for them. Initially, they were upset about that because they would not be able to share their birthday with their friends. Truth be told, they were also upset because they were not going to get as many birthday presents as they had received in prior years.
My wife and I are trying to raise the kids to not be selfish and overly worldly, but that is a hard thing to do where we live. All their friends have so much and, as a kid, you sometimes have a hard time understanding that and seeing the bigger picture. Deep down inside, I suppose I don’t expect them to understand it.
What kills me though is when they come to us and say “but we don’t have anything to play with.” What upsets me is not that they are not thankful for all the toys that they have, but because they are blind to the gifts that they have that they cannot see.
Our children are extremely artistic. Give them a blank piece of paper along with some markers and they can create masterpieces. They are happy singing to themselves, not caring who is listening to them or what they sound like. They freely give hugs, sometimes to strangers. Their innocence is evident in the constant questions they ask.
These are all gifts that I myself once possessed and lost somewhere along the way. I am overly conscious of my actions; I can’t spend an hour drawing, even if its to save my life, and I cant remember the last time I truly bared my soul to a random stranger. My innocence was lost a long time ago.
Maybe I need to take a page out of their playbook. Any suggestions?
