The Bub in the Belly

I don't have much to share today. Mainly because I've been preoccupied thinking about something which I haven't settled on an answer for yet. I have a ton of possible answers, but I need the one that feels right to me.

The question being, "If you could give your child one thing, what would that gift be?"

Now, this is a particularly interesting question for me because I typically don't ask God (or fate or whatever) for things. I thank Him a lot after things have already happened - for a safe trip, for good health, for good weather, for joy and peace in our home, for recovery from illness - but I seldom ask Him for things. I usually accept whatever is planned for me and, at the most, I will ask for patience and strength to get through the experience.

When it comes to children, well, I've heard some mummies-to-be wish for stuff like good looks and intelligence for their unborn babies. Without criticising them, I have to say that I don't take that sort of approach. I don't wish for things like that when I'm blowing out the candles on my birthday cake. My view is that, whatever God chooses to give me, I will cherish, love and nurture. I don't think of my baby as a product that I can customise and dictate specifications for - big eyes, thick hair, cute face, brainy, etc. I don't have a picture that I send to God of how my baby should look like. I don't think any of that really matters when you're talking about your children. (Besides, to me, God is not Santa Claus. I'm supposed to be serving Him, not the other way round.)

I certainly hope for good health for my children, but that's a hope, not a wish or a demand, and I've surrendered long ago to God's will on this issue.

As for traits like kindness, honour, accountability, courage, etc., I have similarly never asked that God bestow these traits on my children. The way I see it, it is my parental responsibility (and Richard's) to cultivate these traits, and if our children grow up lacking, we're not entitled to blame God, we're not going to blame fate, we can't blame anyone else or anything. Richard and I should and will be accountable.

Nevertheless, while I was crafting my post on fairytales and fantasy, this quote came to mind:
"I think, at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity." ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Which got me thinking: If I was allowed to make one request for one gift for my children, what would that gift be?

It is an intriguing question for which I haven't got an answer yet and I'm definitely going to keep thinking about this until I do.

What would your wish for your child be?