My youngest grandson Ashton, at age seven, has developed an interesting personality. In his preschool years, he suffered from shyness, especially when meeting an unknown adult. He’s become more confident with a successful adjustment to school.
Academically, he recently surprised us with his achievements in various subjects. When his older brother taunted him with a difficult multiplication problem, Ashton suddenly popped off the correct answer. He did this without the benefit of a calculator, pencil, paper, and without even being introduced to multiplication. My own disability in anything mathematical earned my deep respect for this grandson of mine.
Another area where he excels is the animal kingdom. Did you know that the octopus has 3 hearts? I’m constantly being regaled with such information about natural wonders by Ashton.
In social settings, despite his history, he has made great strides. Some of this could be due to the example of his people-oriented older brother. Ashton seems to be favored by his classmates and teachers. In fact, some of the fairer sex have shown an interest, for which there is currently no return, since girls to him are still yucky.
An occasional journey into the creative arts attracts him, regardless of an overwhelming desire to play video games. One of my most cherished Christmas gifts from him sits atop my china closet–a framed painting of Grandma picking him up from school. He and his brother also enjoyed following U-Tube instructions for making origami paper airplanes. It was all I could do to prevent them from using my upper floor balcony to launch them across rush hour traffic on our busy street.
The position of younger brother has its ups and downs. He is sometimes left behind as his four-years-older sibling gets to spend more time with friends, including frequent sleepovers. The brothers’ wrestling in my tiny condo often makes my china rattle and I call a halt to some of their rougher play. However, let someone else attack the other one and you’ll see a joint defense.
Ashton’s sharp mind and memory make me envious. I dare not mention a promise I don’t want him to remind me about later. In the book series we’re reading, I can always count on him to recall what the author refers to, regardless of how long ago we read it. At his young age, he gets most of the subtler points, as well.
At times, Ashton surprises me with his directness. After my husband passed, he point-blank asked if Grandpa was dead, yet he always prays for him to be doing okay in Heaven. He also suggested recently that when I died, I could leave him my I-Pad. If I do something odd, he’ll ask me if that’s because I’m so old. I laugh, even while his brother chides him. If you want the barefaced truth, just ask a seven-year-old!
Somehow Ashton’s shyness is a thing of the past. While his big brother ducks when his dad roughhouses with him, Ashton doesn’t let his smaller size discourage him. He gleefully piles into the fray without hesitation. I hope this taking-on-the-world attitude remains a help to him in the days to come as we see his personality further develop.
Dianna
Sharing the Fruit of Maturity
