Parents rarely have the opportunity to see their children in the same way that the rest of the world does. We all know that our kids save their rawest, neediest behavior for us. It’s a compliment, really – that they feel safe enough to be able to disintegrate, knowing that we won’t love them less even when they are a complete mess. (This applies to 20-year-olds as much as 2-year-olds.) So we are sometimes surprised when outsiders recognize our offspring as the fascinating, mature, wonderful people they really are.
Those of us whose kids indulge in sports or performing arts sit back and wonder who that interesting, brave, strong young person is out there on the field or up there on the stage. That young man looks so confident and pre-possessed. Could he be my son? That young woman seems so self-assured and compelling. She’s related to me... imagine that! Seeing them without myopia is the only way to know who they are.
Important details often come into focus with proximity. But sometimes distance is the most important lens there is.
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