To the Mothers of Superheroes

I know it's difficult to be any type of mom, so it must be super difficult to be a mother of a superhero because they have superpowers and, as is unfortunately always paired with superpowers, they have super obstacles and supervillains they must face and overcome. Some of these children have the potential to someday become supervillains themselves, if they store up bitterness and hate, but from what I have seen of you, dear mothers, you are raising them in such a way that goodness and greatness are, by far, the most likely outcome.

I know oftentimes you don't want your kid to be different, to stand out, to draw eyes and attention, but you see, that's part of their superpowers. Other kids may occasionally attract attention, but in a crowd most kids go unnoticed and, because of this, most kids have to wait until they're grown up before they make a big impact. Most kids yell, “Look at me and what I can do with my superpower” and, even if they actually have one, not many people see. But your kids, your superheroes, almost from the moment they were born have inspired and impacted.

I know you already know your children's superpowers, but in case you forgot or in case some who read this don't know what they are, I'll just share a few. Because of the many eyes on them, your child's smile has incredible power. Your child's smile also has incredible power because of the many obstacles they face, when they smile people know it is genuine. Whether the challenges your little superhero face are mental or physical, partly because of how you are shaping your child and partly because of how God is shaping them, that little superhero has a superpower's worth of empathy and compassion. I think this can arise from their deep awareness and understanding of their own trials or their innocence or both (or you may have better answers of which I am unaware). Because of the hurdles they face, they have more wisdom than many of us will ever gain. It seems oftentimes your little hero or heroine has an ability to reach through armor no others can breach, to touch the heart and soul that lies hidden beneath, to make a hard and harsh person gentle, to draw out the warmth in a cold person, and to make a friend of the seemingly unloveable. Because your child leaps tall buildings by climbing the four steps to the library, plays a solo concerto by learning to sing “Jesus Loves Me,” and builds the highest skyscraper by tying their shoes, they inspire great acts in others and teach them that they too can fly.*

I know I have only begun to tell of the superpowers some of these little ones possess so, if your are a superhero's mom or, even better, know a superhero, be sure to leave a comment (without identifying details where the superhero may wish to remain anonymous) and, also, be sure to tell them and their parents that you've noticed their superpower and that you think it's pretty cool.

I will end by saying, I didn't know how to fully convey in words what I was feeling and wanted to share through this, it turned out more simple than I would have it to be, but I hope it is enough. Enough to let you know that your child is special, that you are special and that both of you are powerful.

I know I am an outsider, that I can't really understand...so I am sorry if I said something wrong, if I somehow hurt your feelings. Also, I'm not trying to make you feel guilty, that you should feel okay with all of the people who stare because you should be “an inspiration,” some people just stare because they're rude, uninspired people...well, let's not dwell on them. My intention is to uplift and encourage you and to show that I admire you and the hero you are raising.

* In case that was confusing to some: Stairs are Kyptonite to some little superheroes, learning the mentioned song can comparatively be as big an accomplishment as learning to play a solo concerto, and, well, everyone knows that for some of us, tying our shoes can be as difficult as building a skyscraper.

P.S. This, of course, all goes for the dads of superheroes, too, but I know a few superhero moms better than I know the dads, so I addressed it to them.