Friday, April 8, 2011

Learning From the Young

When do we start to worry
about this need to be right?
Twenty-five kindergartners, bright eyes...shining..bursting
Hands flying up in the air
With nary a thought of "rightness".
Wanting their voices to be heard
Confident in their thoughts and answers.

Flash forward: middle school: less hands
are flying up in the air.
The smell of fear, embarrassment, humiliation
is wafting through the hormonal air.
Wondering if their answer is right.
Wondering if their hair is right.
Wondering if their clothes are right.
Wondering if they, themselves, are right.

Flash forward: adulthood: same basic worry
Just more subtle, just more grown-up.
Eyes scanning the conference room, checking
Eyes scanning the other women....checking
Eyes scanning their whole day...checking.
Do I fit? Am I right?

We can learn from the young.
We can embrace their bursting enthusiasm
Their philosophy that of course they're
Right. Just as they are. Right.
Because "right" isn't the best answer.
It isn't the best clothes... hair.
Job...children...church...talent...house...car.
Right is accepting ourselves as is.
Letting our own uniqueness shine out.
Secure in the knowledge that God
Created us exactly "right" for Him.


Inspired by:  Six Word Fridays~ word of the week is "right".

Linked to: http://dversepoets.com/2011/08/02/openlinknight-3/

22 comments:

  1. I love this reminder, Kristi! "Right is accepting ourselves as is" When we feel good inside, everything just feels right.

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  2. I LOVE this poem! The last four lines of the second and third stanza are the BEST. Thanks for sharing it with us.

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  3. Beautiful post! There are so many things we can learn from children. I wish I could capture all that innocence!

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  4. Right is accepting ourselves .. You are right :)

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  5. Kindergartners are always and enthusiastically right!
    I'd like to recapture that, too.

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  6. five year olds have it right
    if only i could have that!

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  7. I'm not here from the link - I just came by to read your words - and I heart this, The progression - yet everything staying the same is so true. So true. And this, "Secure in the knowledge that God Created us exactly "right" for Him." I'm gonna hold onto that one for a while. I’m really glad I got a chance to come by today. God bless and keep you and all of yours Kristin.

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  8. It's so true what you say. Learning to accept oneself is the hardest struggle. I love the excitement and purity of being 5-year olds exude. :)

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  9. A very nice reminder of the more important things. Thank you.

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  10. i love everything about this post! thankyou for the lovely reminder to hold onto our inner child and let god shine out! lovely to stop by from the red dress club weekend linkup and say hi. xxx

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  11. "Their philosophy that of course they're Right. Just as they are." I love how the piece builds to that line. Fine poem.

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  12. that will preach...smiles. accepting ourselves, who we are...is a great philosophy...too many times we beat our selves up more than others will...

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  13. The use of repetition in stanzas 2 and 3 gave this poem the quality of a prayer - thank you for sharing your philosophy :)

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  14. Right is accepting ourselves as is.
    Letting our own uniqueness shine out.
    Secure in the knowledge that God
    Created us exactly "right" for Him.

    What a truth and yet also just a concept. The problem is the translation from the heart to the mind sometimes takes so very long...I speak from experience. Beautifully expressed!

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  15. so true..it starts early and we never stop until we are brave enough to accept ourselves as we are...very nicely stated..

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  16. A meaningful share.

    Like these lines:
    "Right is accepting ourselves as is.
    Letting our own uniqueness shine out.
    Secure in the knowledge that God
    Created us exactly "right" for Him."

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  17. well said, thought i remembered reading this one...and love the wisdom there in the end...

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  18. Tom Eliot.

    Hi

    I really enjoyed this piece - it really made me think - Its strange how we all aim for this 'right' way even though we all know it doesnt exist. I fear we need it though as a concept - it makes us feel safe. Even when we rebel against it we acknowledge its importence in our own minds..... Thanks for getting my mind working although I m likely to be wrong... i enjoyed the speculation you prompted.
    Gracias

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  19. I still raise my hand, with great relish, as an adult. Half the time it's to ask another question (some people grow out of this why phase). I love this. Thank you.

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  20. Ah, as the father of two now-grown daughters, and who coached 12-13 year old girls for twenty years, I felt this deeply. You nailed that need to be thought "right" along with the "right" crowd. I've seen it carry through to their adulthoods. Captured that, too. Brilliant study, brilliant message.

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  21. All the good stuff I know, yes, I learned from my daughter -- now 9. And yes, she LOVES to be right! :)

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