Today, I really thought about the way my children make themselves understood. One hardly speaks except to quote films or video games and the other has an often strange, but sometimes beautiful, way of speaking: almost like poetry sometimes in that he can condense huge amounts of meaning into very few words.
An example: Not five minutes ago they both came to me separately for help opening a drink bottle. The one who hardly speaks pushed at the creases at the top of my nose (caused by narrowing my eyes in concentration or anger) and gently smoothed them out while waving the bottle at me and saying "Help me please." The other looked me in the eye, carefully composed his features into a pantomime frown and said "I don't want a lid on it. The juice is trapped."
I love their distinct, individual ways of speaking and want to keep it forever, hold it close to me, and hug myself internally every time they speak. But how long will it last? How long can I allow it to last knowing that it is not their only obvious difference, that "otherness" is often unappreciated and our society is set up to reward conformity?
They are still children, and unwordly for their respective ages. I hope I have the strength to help them be who they really are rather than being too scared to allow them the space and encouragement to be themselves for fear of how they will "fit in."
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