Today I decided to teach Zach how to tell time on an analog clock. He has been telling time with a digital clock since he was two, and he loves math, so I expected him to pick it up quickly. But I wasn't ready for him to get it right away. I assumed we would start learning today and continue to practice over the weeks to come. First I started by showing him how to count by fives (at the recommendation of one of my amazing babysitters!) Once I had counted to twenty, he finished counting to one hundred by himself. He did it two more times and then we moved on to a clock. He already knew that an hour has sixty minutes and that the short hand tells what hour it is. So, after counting around the clock by fives one time, he was off and running. He correctly told me every time that I showed him. After ten minutes of instruction and practice, my son can now tell time.
As I put Zach down to bed for his nap, it was hard to not get teary eyed as I thought of how easy learning comes to my big boy. Over the summer his reading has improved by leaps and bounds, and this is with minimal assistance from me. It seems that every time he hears something, his mind soaks it in and it instantly becomes part of his vast array of knowledge.
It was difficult for me to watch Zach succeed with such little effort after working for months with Wesley before seeing success even in small milestones that are building together to reach larger goals. I am so very proud of my oldest son, and God has blessed him with an amazing mind far surpassing that of his Mama. I love him with all my heart, and his joy in learning is contagious. Most of the time I can't help but rejoice with him. But today I wasn't ready for his success. Today it was a stab to my heart as I thought of his precious younger brother.
God has perfectly and beautifully made both of my sons, but at least when it comes to learning, they were created on opposite ends of the spectrum. Somehow it is my job as a mother to both rejoice in and encourage Zach as he bounds from milestone to milestone while also not grieving or losing heart as I watch Wesley struggle and work so hard for each step he takes forward. God has a perfect plan for the lives of each of my boys, and while those plans may be different, they are both good - to give them a future and a hope.
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11
