The Apples and the Tree

Found on Facebook

How far did the apples fall from the tree?
 

I've been thinking a lot lately about my kids and how their characteristics are starting to emulate what I had as a child. Of course, neither one of them  is exactly like me but when I look at the one daughter and then the other, they seem to eerily resemble two sides of the younger me.

 

I sometimes felt schizophrenic when I was younger. I went through different stages as a child but two immediately come to mind when I look back on my childhood: my lazy brain, independent, witty Miss Society phase and my quiet mouse demeanor attempt at being a regular Jane.

 

In a way, my eldest daughter is now like the "lazy brain" version of me. She's brilliant and intelligent when she wants to be but at times she can be quite lazy at working at it. She has gazillions of friends she hangs out with and is quite independent. I remember being like this and thinking the world is at my feet. The downside of having this talent is that she is easily irritable, which if I remember correctly, I was too, when I was the lazy, brainy person.

 

On the other hand, my youngest daughter captures the quiet mouse that I was. She loves reading, computer games, and all things art. She does not mind too much if she does things by herself. In fact, although she welcomes company (from friends) at times, she prefers the luxury of alone time more. Her shortcoming, as was mine at that stage, was indecisiveness. I never really liked definite and was more interested in remaining flexible for anything.

I have mellowed out through the years. I still have both qualities (the brain and the mouse) to this day. In actuality, they've stayed with me longer than any other phases I had in childhood. I look at my kids now and wonder how they'll turn out.
 

When you look at your children, what do you see?

 

My apples didn't fall that far at all. I think. That is, for now.