Being Special

Here's a funny thing about life. We all want to be special. That alone isn't funny. I think it's completely natural to have the desire to be special. The funny thing is that we also want to be normal. Normal and Special don't necessarily go together in my book. Special is somehow different from everybody else. And normal, well that's just exactly the same as everyone.

I remember as a kid I knew I wasn't really the same as everyone else in my classes. First off, I think I only ever had one other "Erika" in any of my school classes and she spelled her name with a "c" instead of a "k". Thankfully, I met that Erica early on in school so that I didn't feel completely alone.

To illustrate my point I'll share a story...I've got a sister named Olivia and her nickname as a child was Libby. Now, let me tell you that thirty years ago there weren't many Olivia's and certainly not a Libby to know - except my sister. The way I remember this all happening, this sister was VERY distraught over being so different from everyone else. There were like 6 Jenny's in her class, a few Stacy's and some Michelle's. No one had even heard of Olivia or Libby - she was different. But in 4th grade different doesn't mean special. Different means weird.

Since that time, this sister has grown into a beautiful, talented, wonderful woman who loves her name and knows it suits her well. And interestingly enough, there are Olivia's, Libby's and even Livy's all over the place now.

So, how do I tell myself, and my children, that different is special and wonderful and amazing? How do I get rid of the desire to be the same as everyone else? How do I know in my heart that sticking out is the best gift in the world because it proves how special I am?

All these questions are finding answers in my daily life. I know that so much of what I chose is different than my family and friends. I know that I am what some might call an 'odd duck'. I also know that I am living my life in the manner that works for me. I am teaching my children with love and as much patience as I can manage in each moment. And I'm able to do this because I'm choosing to be my special. My special isn't about getting someone else's approval. My special is special because of me.

The other important thing for me to remember is that just because it works for me doesn't mean it will work for anyone else. Chances are it won't ever work for someone else because it was created for my life, for me and my experiences. So, with this knowledge, I have the opportunity to love myself, my life and my choices. I also have the opportunity to love everyone else - because they are special too. Their special may look different and sound different than mine and that's wonderful because that emphasizes just how special each one of us is!