That same raspberry bush, in better soil with more sunlight and a homeowner who actually thought to sprinkle it with some water once in a while, might thrive. There might be a flowing crop of raspberries coming from the bush with many more crops to come. It would be properly pruned and probably covered as the winter months approach. THAT is nurture.
It's entirely possible The Little Raspberry Bush That Could is just really tough, the kind of plant that can make it in spite of neglect. I bet there's some people like that, too. It's equally possible it won't make it through the winter and I'll find myself buying a new raspberry bush next year. Which is fine, when we're talking about a plant. I think you'll all be relieved to know I take a far less laissez-faire approach to raising my child.
Can you make a kid born lacking intelligence a genius with the right parenting? No, but you can make things easier for them academically with lots of love and support. Can you make a child dealt an unfortunate hand in the looks department prettier? No, but you can make them feel beautiful on the inside, and that will show on the outside to the right people. You can't make a basketball star out of a really short kid or a quarterback out of one that can't throw, but you can make a person that tries really hard. Like plants, you can't change the stuff people are made of, but you can still give them the right conditions to grow.
This post is part of GBE2 - Week #25 word prompt: Nature vs. Nurture. Life with a Parasite has been nominated as a contender for the Circle of Moms Top 25 Canadian Mom Blogs. Please vote for me. You can vote once a day until November 17th. Thank you in advance!
7 comments:
Exactly! Love the bush=humans thing.
Nuture can often outdue nature. Thank God for super parenting skills and awesome mentors
@Jo, thanks! I picked one of the raspberries as inspiration :)
@GPD, absolutely good parenting and guidance can overcome a lot of obstacles, and good genes can overcome a lot of adversity.
I've found ugly kids can become cute when you get to know them by a great personality.
Joyce
http://joycelansky.blogspot.com
Lovely analogy=brilliant take on this weeks theme!
Kathy
http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com/
@Joyce, the cute kids don't have to try as hard.
@Kathy, thank you!
Superb! You're so right--nurturing can make someone happy, confident, and able to develop and celebrate their unique gifts.
Oh, and I'm better with people than plants, too. Thank goodness.
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