Arugula

The leafy herb vegetable arugula is not well known.  It is actually not easy to find in planting season.  I usually have to order the seeds specially.  Even though it is rare, it is a great delight for our family.  We eat enormous amounts of this leafy extra.  In the fall when most of my lettuce has bolted, it is still going strong and I use it instead of lettuce.   It has a sharp and unique taste that is rare and distinctive.   A few of my kids find it altogether too distinctive in its hot sharp nutty flavour.  That doesn't bother me.  Just leaves more for those of us who cannot do without it.

Sometimes people are like arugula.  Sharp and distinctive and a bit nutty.  We may think we need to help these people be less eccentric and unique.  When we were beginning our adoption journey, one of the social workers called my husband "quirky".  I thought our chances of adopting were probably pretty slim because of some of our rather distinctive ways.   When our first child through adoption arrived, I realized immediately that it was going to work.  She too is very "quirky."  She is just like her Dad.  It was a great match.  Each of the children since then have also had their own distinctive gifts.  We have lots of sharp uniqueness in our family.  We would probably be among the more rare plants on the nursery benches.

I seek out people who are full of life and unique sharp flavour.  I chose my husband for his characterful quirkyness.  Deep down, I love the fact that each of my children are distinctive and just a little bit different.   In all honesty, however, a big part of me has always tried to change my own unique ways to be more acceptable. I have tried to round off my sharper edges. I have also tried to make sure that my children are not too eccentric in their sharp differences.  Life with its challenges and disappointments is changing me.  I am now  learning to love myself just as I am, with my own flavour and rather quirky and distinctive edges.  As I learn to love myself, I am relaxing in also letting my children grow from within their own hearts and experiences without trying to fit them in some socially acceptable mold.  We cannot do without the arugula attributes in our own hearts and family.  Encourage your children and families to be who they are with the richness of all that life has brought them, both good and challenging.  Difference and eccentricity is what brings energy,  flavour and life to our days.