What Taliesin Has Taught Me (On His Twelfth Birthday)

I can't believe he is twelve years old today.  He has grown into such a wonderful, exciting, unique, talented, artistic, critical thinking person.  And those are just the beginning of the adjectives I could use to describe Taliesin.

Just yesterday, I saw him tear up with passion due to a discussion about slavery in U.S. history that my sister and I were having.  He has a drive to see that everyone is treated with respect.

I have learned a lot through Taliesin.  Nearly everything around Taliesin has been controversial according to tradition.  From the time he was conceived until now, he has known questioning.  People questioning how he learns, people questioning why he likes what he likes, people questioning, people questioning.  Perhaps that is why he is so passionate about events such as slavery and the civil rights movement and the Salem witch trials and other times of persecution that occurred because people did not fit into the ideals that society thought they should fit into.  Throughout all the questioning, Taliesin has not changed who he is.  You will never meet a better kid.  Even those people who have questioned him have admitted they have never had any problems with his behavior or his respect.  He respects everyone.  He listens and he learns.  But he doesn't change himself to conform to traditional expectations.  He has taught me to do the same.

Taliesin follows his passions.  Many are the times, I see him bring out piles of books and notebooks and pens and pencils and whatever other medium of art he feels led to use that day.  He will sit on the floor and draw and take notes over a topic that has come to mind.  At other times, he will sit at the computer, pulling up videos on YouTube and drawing his favorite video game characters.  He loves learning.  He loves books.  He loves history.  He loves thinking.  He amazes me everyday.

Taliesin's name fits him so well.  It means "Having a firm brow."  He is definitely determined.  A few years ago, I had an interesting dream about Taliesin.  I dreamed someone prophesied over him that God has big plans for him.  I have no doubt of this.

I am so eager to celebrate Taliesin's birth today.  He is most definitely a reason to celebrate!