Bloom where you are planted

It’s been five months since our last trip to Kodiak Island. During our March visit, everyone was anticipating spring. Now, the area is bracing for winter. One morning during my walk, I could see my breath. There is snow on a hill in the distance. Change is in the air.

Change is happening in the house too. We celebrated Allison’s 2nd birthday while we were in Alaska. Since our last visit, she went from crawling to walking, moved from crib to bed, and has potty trained. Language is her most significant accomplishment. Her vocabulary may be limited but her meaning is clear. Me and mine are two words she has mastered. She can communicate when she needs to pee and when she wants more. Many things we take for granted are dramatic gains for children.

Her older sister has gotten more proficient on her bicycle and can navigate the horizontal ladder at the playground without help. She chose to play with the girls at the park instead of us while we supervised and entertained her sister. What is most noticeable is how she can write her name and other words, if someone helps with spelling. Rachel is on the cusp of reading.

During our Skype sessions, we get a glimpse of changes, but seeing the girls in person reveals the scope of the transformation. Isn’t it amazing how much children learn before they enter formal schooling? Physical growth is expected, but their reasoning and personalities really emerge during the pre-school years.

The kids are growing a tomato plant that appears to be thriving; skimming the ceiling at 8.5′ tall. It has absorbed water, sunlight, fertilizer and other nutrients to create height and healthy leaves. But, the plant has produced no tomatoes. The flowers shrivel before turning into fruit.

That plant is a cautionary tale. How many of us look mature and healthy but are not flowering. What stops us from learning throughout our lives? The biological imperative is grow or die. Today is a good day to consider how you can bloom where you are planted. Determine the essential elements you need in order to flourish. Set a course for blossoming and continue the pattern of growth that comes naturally to children.