Third Child

They say that the third child is the forgotten one. The quiet one. The pleaser, the fixer, the easy-going mellow one. Totally true in my experience. My third, Trace, is a particularly pleasant person. I have this notion that he is the most like me of all my kids. I thought about this some more before I wrote that line and realized that is some serious fantasy. He is very little like me at all but I sure do like him anyway. Perhaps in fact I like him so much because he is so different than I. God damn it! There I go again analyzing everything. I do NOT know why but I just really dig the kid.

He is subtle, perceptive, loyal and stubborn on an as needed basis. He is naturally polite, sensitive to other peoples feelings. He fits in yet is not a doormat. He is tidy, organized, funny and smart, patient and kind. He really just came out that way. His birth was easy and magnificent. He was a perfect baby in every way. Unlike all my other kids, he liked people other than me and still does.

This morning while I was meditating, he came into my bed and without a word crawled in next to me and snuggled into my arm. He is the only child who does this. I have three other children each equally unique as Trace. And thus far I believe they were all pre-programmed to be the people they are with a dash of my and their father's (over and under) reactions/input/influence once they got here.

We all get some blessings, some challenges, some grace, some trials. I get my respite in Trace - my breath before diving back into the storm. I do think he is exactly where he is meant to be in the birth order and I am utterly grateful for the spot of number three being filled by such a human as he.