Uniquely You

I grew up with three brothers and three sisters. All seven of us came from the same Mom and Dad, yet all of us are unique. My siblings and I may share some of the same physical features and even some of the same morals and values, but, if you were to sit down and converse with each of us, you’d find that we are all originals. 

Mom and Dad did a good thing when they did not treat us all the same. For instance, my oldest brother was quite the hellion, while I was not. Consequently, when he was a teen, he was shipped off to a boarding school. 

Neither Mom or Dad ever even threatened to ship me off to a boarding school. If my parents had done that just because they’d shipped my oldest brother off, what would have happened to me? Most likely, being ten years younger than my brother, I may not have recovered from feeling rejected. 

Though Mom and Dad had the same expectations for all of us; obedience and respect, they did not mete out the same discipline for all of us. For this, I am grateful. Some, like my oldest brother, received much stricter reprimands than me. I never even got a swat on my behind. I guess I really was the angel my siblings accused me of being.  

I have to also say that not each of us received the same counsel from our parents either. I was the youngest of the daughters and because of this, I did not get the same message from Dad as my older sisters did. 

Dad told two of them how happy he would be if they became Catholic nuns. According to Dad, becoming a nun was a very high and esteemed calling. But, if Dad had given me the same counsel, I can only imagine what would have occurred. 

Being the youngest daughter and the most impressionable, I might have agreed with him. I might just have run away to a convent before the age of ten just to please my father. Thankfully for my husband, I did not.

Our relationships with Mom and Dad were also different. It seems there were some that were on the receiving end of Mom’s tenderness while others of us missed out on that component of Mom’s. I did not miss out on Dad’s favoritism while others may have. 

The uniqueness of my siblings and me is also demonstrated in the choices we’ve made in life. Some married, some remained single. Some reproduced offspring, while others did not. Some of us became entrepreneurs and others became administrators, nurses and teachers. 

Yep, Mom and Dad did a very good thing in noticing just how different each of their offspring were. Then, they treated us accordingly with love. 

Why Bother?

Why bother being uniquely you? There is no one else quite like anyone else. Consequently, I believe we’ve all created to show and tell others about the One who created us to be uniquely us.

P.S.  I wrote the story of my journey to forgiveness for those who, like me, know they need to change, but are not quite sure where to start. You can find A Heart’s Journey To Forgiveness at Redemption Press and Amazon.