A few thoughts on imprinting

Photo of ducks by Vlad Tchompalov on Unsplash

I thought about this idea of imprinting after my son had done something (I now forget what), and I then inquired into how he knew how to do it. He responded, “I don’t know, I just watched you do it.” My heart was so proud because this was said after we made it through all the years of “Mom, no!” or “Mom, I know!” and “What do you know?!” etc. We weathered all of those so called “push/pull”years which have faded into years of delight and sharing. I wish I would have switched gears earlier to asking more questions ( not just, “WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!”) I never was one of those sage moms, but I DID bring them along to so many events and shared my life with them.

I wish I could have relaxed into the time immemorial natural process of IMPRINTING. We are created to model behavior and share wisdom with our children. What’s cool is to see them take mine and my husband’s ideas and express them through their personality and lives. I have since discovered that the French (and probably the rest of the known world) value folding their children into the adult world with this very idea of imprinting! As I think about it, so did the Ugandans when we lived there, but no one would think to point it out because it should be obvious. Some of us in America make it too complicated.

The photo below is my daughter during “Morrow” camp that she ran as a young teen years ago. She was a professor at Hogwarts and yes, she could use all of those props that I just have around the house. She still makes me proud! I never taught her those things, but she could pull it off because of things that I did impart. Anyway, I have saved all of the kids dress up and books for grandchildren, because by the GRACE of God, we might have a second chance, and I can pay this forward.

As I go through all the the collections of my late mother-in-law, I have decided to start a hobby with the grandchildren, like stamp collecting or coin collecting. What a brilliant way to share that is NOT a craft, which I am not good at, BUT I do love collecting things and searching for things at garage sales or thrift shops. So many possibilities!