All of my children are unique. One is quiet and reserved. Another is energetic and playful. The last is a combination of both – shy sometimes but with “eyes that tell a story.” They all share the traits of kindness, being responsible, thoughtfulness, and generally are terrific kids. And I cannot forget their dad. Strong, level headed, a great sense of humor, compassionate, hardworking, and all around amazing are just a few traits that characterize him.
Would I want a family where everyone was exactly the same? Where we all shared the exact same characteristics and personality traits? No, I wouldn’t. I have a tendency to get bored easily so to have everyone exactly alike would not be very fun.
I like the diversity that comes with having a bigger family. My children share traits with both their father and I, but they also have traits that are uniquely theirs. That is such a blessing.
I compare our family with the multicolor strands of Christmas lights that are sold at the store. Each color is uniquely itself; some colors are a blend of two others (green is made up of blue and yellow), but each color combined with the others helps to create the final result. If one bulb is missing or broken, the entire strand is compromised. It is only when all the colors are working together, each in their own unique way that the masterpiece is complete.
That is the way it is with our family. If one person is missing or tries to be someone they aren’t, our picture is broken. I would not change the shy, reserved, carefree, funny, energetic, playful, quiet, relaxed blend that makes up our own unique family.
God gave me this picture of our family, and I was able to write this analogy into my The Redeeming of Green Pines Series, Book One (Journey Back Home). It fit perfectly with what the family was dealing with and was a great description of how different they all are. I can’t wait to officially introduce you to them, but until then, know I’m working hard at edits and hope to get the book into your hands in 2020 (if that’s God’s timetable).
So take time to celebrate and really embrace the wonderful qualities that make up your own family, making sure to tell each other how important he or she is, in his or her own special way, to your family as a whole.
© Cheri Swalwell 2019