Water, ravishing the rock, the trees, the land. Rushing over in an eternal, ongoing motion; swelling with the feeling, the rush, the desire that we all fight for, and in some cases, even die for.

We are human, we know all, we control all...silly humans, what do we know?

Nature may be silent, but isn't that the best way to be observant? Isn't that the best way to know your surrounding? Your friends from your enemies?

Everything holding true beauty is natural.

Everything natural holds true beauty.

Life is what we make it.

  We never really stop to think about how luxurious our lives are. Cars, houses, food, cell phones, education...and if you're not able to afford those things, there is a government assistance program practically at speed dial to provide them for you. For the past few months, my family has had to rely on these programs to get us from one week to the next, and in situations like this, it's easy to forget that there are people out there, in other countries, who would kill to be in our position.

   It deeply bothers me to hear and see the ungratefulness that most of our fellow citizens posses. Life is not about what kind of car you drive, or what cell phone you have, or how big your house can be or what you can fill it with. We, as a whole, as a nation, are so selfish. We are so aware of who's on what reality show, and what the latest technology available to us is, that we aren't aware of our own rapid decline as a society, and more important, as people.

   All of this brings me to this point, a great deal of the world, out side of this beautiful place we call home, is suffering. People are being enslaved by their own government, they are being killed for speaking their mind-or not even speaking at all, all their superiors have to do is suspect that they're involved in a life of betrayal. Children are dying or being orphaned by sicknesses  that we've had cures for for years and of diseases we've never even had to encounter, thanks to modern medicine and medical science. There are kids raising their own siblings because their parents have been killed off by sickness or murder. These children are never offered the chance to go to school, and have no idea what it's like to see a doctor,and in some countries, they're killed for showing an interest in either. They have no such thing as freedom of speech, or thought, or expression. They are persecuted for anything and everything. They live in fear and solitude.

    As a nation of hope, dreams, means, and prosperity, why are we not doing more to help? Why are so many of us not even trying? I want so badly to do mission work. I want to travel, spreading love, compassion, food, and the word of God to every willing and open heart, and making it available to the ones that aren't. I want my children to be raised doing mission work, so that when they grow up, they too, can spread this love and ideology to their own little families, and so on. Each of us can do a small part to contribute and make others lives so much more than what they are. We can`pass on happiness and hope...we have that capability.

 

Giftedness in Children. (Toddlers)

(Originally written on Tuesday, November 9, 2010)

Earlier this afternoon, my 15 month old, Iris, and I went to town to run some errands. In our endeavors, we encountered a lovely older lady who casually struck up a conversation with me about my daughter. She was going down the normal list of compliments that people give to parents when they see their young children, when Iris began to display her, normal to me but probably odd to someone who doesn't know her, behavior. She was, in one instant, displaying her inquisitive side and investigating anything and everything surrounding her, within or not of arm's reach. But in a moment's notice began to throw a tantrum over she only knows what. As her mother, I have become far beyond used to this behavior and write it off, punish or ignore it, depending on the situation at hand and then go about my day. The woman, on the other hand, observed her behavior silently for a few moments and then proceeded to tell me something that has honestly only crossed my mind in rather fleeting moments. She casually and kindly blurted out that Iris is displaying characteristics of being gifted. Now, to the average mind, giftedness tends to invoke thoughts of being highly intelligent (which it is) but once it is investigated more thoroughly, one will find that it is also linked to many different mental and emotional states. Which got me further exploring, can it be genetic? The answer that I found, was yes. As a small child, I was diagnosed with ADD. ADD in it's self is commonly misdiagnosed. The traits and symptoms of ADD/ADHD run so closely with those of giftedness that often times they run one in the same.
Society has such a misunderstanding of what "gifted" really means. When you hear that word, you think perfect attendance, perfect grades, a "goody-goody" if you will. They think someone who is going to grow up and be a literal rocket scientist. But they (people AND doctors) don't investigate matters deeply enough to see the negative aspect of being a gifted child (or adult). Often times, they display intense emotional outbursts, in which I remember clearly doing as a child. They are bored in class, they tend to be rather forgetful. In school I would often show up to class empty handed when it came to home work, not because I didn't want to do it or because I didn't care about my grades, but because I honestly and simply forgot. This would usually lead to me excusing myself to the restroom to cry over a matter that to others could have been so easily avoided. Gifted children often carry almost an inability to focus on anything that cannot instantly captivate their interest. But to view a more positive side of giftedness, it does mean you carry a different level of intelligence than your peers. But not exactly in any or every area. Sometimes it can only be a small amount or maybe even only one area. Which, myself, and many other children that I was grouped with in school, displayed. They also tend to have a strong creative side and a love for anything associated with art. But because of the forgetfulness or tendency to drift away mentally, these students are viewed by their peers as stupid or emotionally unstable.
With my research and vivid memories of my child hood and educational career, this has me wondering if I, too, was misdiagnosed, or it the 2 mental states run together.  When I found what the traits of being a gifted child are and how to tell in someone as young as a toddler, I realized that Iris has almost every single one. The other day, I found her looking at her fingers trying to count, and then saying "one, two, three".  To many of you reading this, you may be thinking to yourself that I am bragging, but in reality, as much as I love the thought of having a gifted child...the memories of my childhood state of mind, and the feeling of constantly being misunderstood-I'm not so sure if I'm ready to face to "consequences" so to speak. I'm not really sure if there's any way to really plan for, or to prepare for a child who thinks and acts the way I remember thinking and acting.  That is assuming I was incorrectly diagnosed, or that the 2 may be more closely linked than doctors believe. Below I have listed just a few traits that small children may carry as signs of being gifted. If your child matches these, I encourage you as the parent to really research giftedness. Fortunately for me, I had a very patient, understanding, and willing mother. (Thank you mom, <3)

Recognizing the Gifted Toddler
We all want to think that our child is the most special of any of their peers, but this is different than being gifted. Some of the signs that your child may be gifted include things such as:
Reaching developmental milestones ahead of their peers ∙
Has a special talent such as drawing or working with numbers ∙
Has a very advanced vocabulary or is further along in their language development than most children ∙
Is very curious and is always asking questions ∙
Is active but not hyperactive ∙
The child has the ability to concentrate on things for long periods of time ∙
Has a very vivid imagination ∙
The child has great memorization and recall abilities

Discovery=Life=Motherhood

  (Originally written on Wednesday, October 20, 2010)

 
This year; pure happiness, sadness, longing, motherhood. Discovery; life, human nature,  (the more lovely) mother nature, (the more important) self nature-the nature of myself, the depths of myself, the love of myself and the self still yet to be uncovered. Hidden behind a shroud of naivete, outward opinions, inward opinions, ideas, simple state of mind, a painted smile, and a guarded heart. Aspirations; The lessons of life, the meaning of life...MY life, further self discovery, empowerment of this woman-courage, slow down this, somewhat, power trip of independence-lean on him and HIM. Stability in freedom. Freedom is NOT slavery- but a liberating state of mind. An artistic state of mind. Freedom is in the melodic notions of a song, the perfect moment captured still for all eternity on film, the swift strokes of the painter's brush as it glides across the rough surface of a new canvas, or in the words of a child learning to speak Praise; experiencing faith, Savior, salvation through sun, moon, stars, dirt, water, trees, all that HE created for us to love, and to visualize-to the strongest ability that our simple minds can fathom, how great Thou Art. Aspirations in motherhood; teaching-the importance of, not money or material objects or place in society, for society has yet to realize the unimportance of it's self, but to feel, to know-yourself, your surroundings (the ones not created by man, for everything created by man is deceptive in nature.) Love yourself...I have learned the old saying to be more than true, You cannot truly love another until you can learn to love yourself. The world outside is more than just the people in it. It is happiness, sadness, wellness, sickness, compassion, suffering, and so much more. To teach them, you are not the whole world, you are not the only one in it or the only one affected by it's happenings or your choices so live fully and choose wisely. These are the teachings of a concerned, loving, passionate, skeptic mother. Writhing with excitement in the idea of one day knowing I've done and been the best to them.