Embrace Yourself

In an educational world measured by norms and standards, it is obvious when you are not. Some educators and institutions recognize gifted children for who they are and are adept at helping them grow and mature both academically and emotionally. Sadly, others do not, and may even interpret the very behaviors and traits that make these kids extraordinary as there being something “wrong” with them (not normal or standard). If the traits and behaviors of giftedness are not recognized, embraced or at least accepted by those around them, it is difficult to expect the child to grow up being able to embrace, accept and recognize it within themselves. Growing up not knowing who or how astounding they really are, is the reality of many gifted children. It is both sad in retrospect, but also heartwarming in implication, that it is frequently parents that have suffered a similar life-story who first recognize this beginning to happen in their own children. For many individuals, this starts them down parallel paths. One a path of courageous and sometimes painful self-discovery, the second, a path to ensure that their own children grow up to have a positive sense of themselves to love and embrace.

~Sharon