Imitation

I am always amazed when my children imitate my mannerisms, or copy something I do or say. I have a black Texas Tech hat that is usually attached to my head. During my slacker days of college I would get up throw on my hat and go to class. As I matured I and left with my wife for seminary in Kentucky, I would get up and throw my hat on and go to class. Now, on days away from the office, that hat is usually plastered to my head. Until recently…

Our 20 month old son has developed a liking for MY hat. In fact, I am not really sure it is my hat anymore. If I am wearing the hat, he points at the hat and “asks” (ok so it is really a string of grunts, but I know what he means) to wear his daddy’s hat. He will walk around for hours with my hat on.

He is starting to imitate phrases that my wife and I use. I frequently see our other children in him as he learns to climb or say new words. I guess I also see a little bit of myself and Rebecca, after all, they all have imitated us at some point. I guess if you think too much about it, I can see a little bit of my mom and dad, and Rebecca’s mom and dad in my children’s mannerisms.

Our children imitate us because they want to be more like the grownups. We rarely think about it but they watch us to see what we do or how we do something, then they go and do likewise.

Sometimes it can be humbling to be a parent. My kids think so much of me that they want to imitate me, they want to do the things that I do, and they want to spend time with me. It happens more often than I would like, but there are times I act in a way I would be very embarrassed for my children to act. There are times I say things that my kids would be in trouble for saying, and it doesn’t make these things any better when my wife lovingly points out I would not want them to be imitating me at that particular moment…

Are we careful about how we act, because others are watching us, not in some creepy stalker way, but there are those who respect us and we may never realize it? They watch and they imitate. Eventually someone is going to watch and imitate those that watch and imitate us. Are the lives we are living, are our actions, or words worthy of being imitated? We can strive to do and be someone whose life encourages others do strive for more, or we can do whatever we want no matter how it affects others, and there will be those who do likewise.