Gift

Everyone has a gift.

Something that helps them cope.

Something that helps them meander through the roads of life and make their stories happen.

For my grandma is her motherly nature. Everyone feels at ease in an instant around her. She is all inclusive and you can really feel waves of acceptance around her. For my mom, it’s her child-like honesty. She can be brutally honest without flinching, especially to herself (where it counts the most). For my dad, it’s his sense of control. He’s never been the one to react. Always considering, in depth, the consequences of his actions. For my sister, it’s her ability to love so fully, that the object of her affection ceases to need any other support.

So I thought a lot about my talents. My ‘gifts’.

I can sing well. I can dance pretty well too. I can mimic and act like my hairy ancestors. I can write stories and blogs. I can draw, paint and design to make a living. Heck, I can even cut hair!

But I don’t think these things have helped me course my life so much. I can do them and they might look good on paper, but they don’t shape my character. So, I got more rhetorical. What are my traits? What can I do, that perhaps results in the path my life is taking?

Well, I’m pretty brave. I’ve never taken the ordinary course. I’ve never asked for anyone’s help in the process, though I’ve received plenty. I’m pretty self sufficient. I’m self motivated (I mean, no one is stretching my arm to write this blog, and if they did I’d probably not do it). So, I’m kind of a rebel. I’m also decent looking with a convincing personality. But I don’t go out of my way to get something done for me. I’d rather do it myself. So what is it? What’s my gift?

It took me a small blow to realize what it is.

Well, it took me a headfirst fall to the ground to be precise. You see, I slipped on a wet spot and got up like I had never fallen. In fact, my swift recovery left me slightly dazed but agape. How did I get up so fast? It was superhero-like almost (at least that’s how it felt at 3 o’clock in the morning anyway).

And then it hit me. Ouch! That killed my arm.

And then it hit me. Wait a minute, Am I seeing in twos?

And then it hit me. Resilience.

That’s my gift.

My ability to make swift recoveries from situations where others might sink for days (not counting the falling bit, I’m sure people would walk away from that unscathed, sans epiphany perhaps).

Before, I used to think that it’s because I don’t care about anything. But now I realize that it’s because I can’t brood over things like other people because innately, instinctually, I realize the waste it is to dwell over things. To wish things turned out another way. I’d much rather go and do something else. Especially if it consists of eating my favorite treats or sleeping. Ehem…Moving on.

Resilience. That’s my gift and only the future will tell where that takes me.

I hope you won’t have to break a leg like me to realize your gift, but what’s yours? And would you care to share?