Unique Boutique

My second daughter is only a week old, but in the time I've had to get to know her so far my mind is quick to pick up on the ways that she differs as a newborn from my first daughter.

She snores, grunts to fall asleep, nurses twice as long due to pauses of contemplation, weighs a little less than 2 lbs. more than my first daughter weighed, has an outie instead of an inie (sp?), sleeps all day, rarely cries, and sucks her fingers.

These little differences make her unique and full of mystery. A recent post on Moms Without Blogs titled "Little Fish, Big Sea" helped me realize that what sets us apart from every other person on this planet is what we love about ourselves. We may be similar in so many ways, but each person has a unique mixture of beauty.

With each new day as a mom of a 22-month-old and a newborn I see and cherish the uniqueness and sameness in my daughters. This observation spreads to my writing and books that I love. What sets my writing apart from that of other writers? What books speak to me in unique ways?

My toddler is fascinated with dressing up these days. She sets up a little boutique for herself with my fancy shoes (covered in dust), odd hats laying around the house, costume jewelry, and more. I imagine in her mind she feels like a different person each time she dresses up in a different way, making her unique in her own mind each time.

While the big and small parts of our character make us unique, trying on the hats of others and imagining their unique lives adds to our uniqueness. We gain a better understanding about ourselves when we are in the shoes of another person.

This is one approach I take when evaluating and critiquing my writing. What makes my writing unique in the eyes of the reader? What impression does my writing have on various people? My children are helping me to realize the importance of uniqueness as well as the specialness of sameness.