It's All So Personal

I think we come into this world naked, screaming, and with a purpose. I've given birth three times. Each child was nothing like the one before. Each had their own individual passions.
My firstborn arrived already lit up, as cute as a doll, gregarious, entirely outgoing and social, even now, she loves to talk and listen and entertain everyone. She is charming, open, engaging, sparkling, and warm. She is the center of every social event she attends and is well respected with many friends from every socioeconomic background. Her degree is in the legal and crimianal justice fields.
My second born was a leader right off the bat, his favorite thing to do as a toddler was to watch old black and white war movies and "charge" everything in sight. He begged for camoflauge clothing to our horror and wanted to wear those clothes night and day, he carried a toy rifle and wore a combat helmet constantly. When we told him to do something, he saluted us and did it promptly and without question. He made lists as soon as he could write and organized all of the "army games" he held in our back yard. In kindergaten, he was ready to lead every activity and called on others based on their abilities to be his "right hand children" He obeyed his teachers without question, and was never in trouble. He soared to the top of every the class all thorugh high school Jr. ROTC and college ROTC and is now a successful military officer, and has served honorably and risen through the ranks quickly. We are not military types at all, quite the opposite, we are "tree huggers and give peace a chance types" We did not want to buy him those kinds of toys and clothing, but, he simply would not play with anything else, he would make his "guns" out of other things if he did not get the plastic ones. It was as if his spirit was crushed if he did not get to organize and implement his "army games" and wear his "army clothing and gear" I was very conflicted, my brother was in Viet Nam and I did not want a military career for this child, but, this was HIM. So, I chose to celebrate who he was and allow him to take the lead (with supervision and loving acceptance)
My third was a natural born artist from the start, beautiful, graceful, sensitive, quiet, calm, spiritual, willowy, and a loner. She did not want toys or dolls, she wanted to draw and mold clay, grow plants in her room and listen to classical music. She loved poetry and reading. She worked with animals and could understand their needs without thinking twice. She was a very compassionate and empathetic child, and she grew toward the light in all ways. She went to art school and created many lovely works, she was a dedicated and loving volunteer with animals all of her short life until she passed away at age twenty two from a sudden illness.
Yes, we come in with our hearts on fire, as long as someone in authority doesn't put our fire out before we have a chance to light the path before ourselves with it. Life is for THIS, for passion, for the giving of ones gifts and talents and natural inclinations, which should be celebrated and nurtured by those who love us. There is so much about life that we will never understand, but, we should never fail to encourage, celebrate, and dance with life because we never know how long we will have on this planet to share our "one of a kind" passions with the world. That is what life is for!