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Health & Fitness

In Gratitude for What I Have Learned from My Sons

The holidays and heading toward another new year makes me think of all I am thankful for, while reflecting on the past year and what is most important to me. Being mother to my two sons is the greatest joy I can imagine.

What I didn’t know at the beginning when I worried so much about how to be a great Mom was how much I would learn from each of my sons.  Every day I learn new things in fascination as I have watched them grow and explore.


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Pure Joy. Seize the Moment.

Especially when they were young, I love the way my kids rushed in to experience the moment. I love watching my younger son run like the wind along the beach with such relish or follow pigeons or seagulls eyeing their every move. There isn’t the hesitation and constant thinking things through that many of us adults have, rather the pursuit of whatever fascinates their curiosity.

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Resilience

I am awed at times by the spirit and strength my sons have shown in situations that would make many an adult curl up in the corner. My sons have both had medical challenges at different times that they dealt with so gracefully. Periodic rough asthma episodes lead to difficult, sleepless nights grasping for the inhaler, but my son never snaps in irritation.

A rare birth defect that we didn’t discover until my other son was 2 years old prevented him from swallowing food properly. He went from endless bouts of mysterious illness before diagnosis to serious emergency surgery and a week in PICU with such sunshine and smiles he charmed his medical team and therapists. I also admire his ability to heal quickly, he was running around the house with boundless energy in the blink of an eye after returning home from the hospital.

 

The Power of Positive Thinking and Letting Go of Negativity…Fast

When something troubles my sons, they ponder it till they come up with a solution, talk it through, and then…they let go of it. Being happy, sunny people is a great gift and lifts the spirits.

 

Determination and Perseverance

Whether learning how to ride a bike or as a toddler figuring out how to crawl up a cabinet to reach a counter for whatever caught their eye, their determination to figure out how something worked or accomplished what they want is breathtaking.

One of my sons while brilliant has some learning differences that make school harder for him to get the results others spend a fraction of the time achieving. We’ve worked to give him whatever opportunities and support we can but I so admire the way he diligently, persistently practices the skills and studies relentlessly to make things work, using all the extra time and tools he needs to. He is determined to work through his challenges and while he gets frustrated doesn’t let that get in his way.

To read the rest of the article, please visit my parenting blog at http://gooseling.com/2013/11/15/gratitude-learned-sons. Lisa Danielpour is Co-Founder and COO of Gooseling, dedicated to teaching children social & life skills through video game apps. Cavity Dragons is the first game designed to encourage kids to brush their teeth.

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