Friday, March 18, 2016

11/52

These two. I continue to be amazed at how very different they are, from the beginning. It's possible my memory isn't pristine, but as I remember Cecile at Genevieve's age, she was a more cautious, if not analytical child. Stranger danger was very real; she needed to first observe a new situation, or meet new faces from the comfort of my arms before she could allow herself to be social. Transitions were hard. Still today, when faced with a new social setting, she will evaluate from the periphery before fully engaging. Once she lets you in, you're in; but she will make you work for that space in her soul. And know, too, that should you seek that space, her attention span is long. 

Then Genevieve: my playful, adventurous, even irreverent child. Like Cecile, Genevieve begins as a quiet observer, furrowing her brow at the world around her. But unlike her older sister, she is quicker to adapt. She does not cry at strangers. She's even allowed herself to be handed off to one on occasion. And where there is a certain intensity with Cecile, there is intention with Genevieve. She has these very purposeful surges of energy, and she's very commanding in both her voice and body. She wills herself into every room, ready to sample to world. I don't think it's too early to call her fearless.

And yet, these two small people with their big, differing personalities can be so alike. Each girl presents different challenges, but their challenges seem to stem from a common determination. This is not surprising; the girls are sisters, they share common denominators. Jon and I imprint the ideas that mold perceptions and direct movements. I recently read an article that stated each child is a different assignment. This resonates because I find myself constantly seeking the line between guiding and getting out of the way. And moment to moment, child to child it's not always clear to me where that line is. With two strong women--strong in determinatively different ways--and being a mother who, too, knows herself to be strong-willed, it's a wily, temperamental target. 
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