Article May 19, 1997 Issue

Being just me

Joan Sieber Ware

Did you know that each kind of bird has its own song? A robin sings a robin song, a cardinal sings a cardinal song, and a bluebird sings a bluebird song. Each song is different. If you know the different songs, you don't have to see the bird to know what kind of bird it is. You can tell just by hearing his song. There is a "trick" bird, though—the mockingbird. This bird learns many different sounds and birdsongs and combines them all!

You are made to have your own "song." By that I mean there's just one you. No one else, not even a twin or a very close brother or sister, could ever be you. You were made by God to be special—to have special talents and to love in your own special way. No one can ever take your place. No one can be you, and you can never be anyone else. God needs you to be your own special self! And He gives you all you need to do that perfectly well.

Sometimes we get tricked into thinking we're not as special as someone else or that being ourselves is not good enough. We might even start acting like that tricky mockingbird, copying other kids who we might mistakenly think are better than we are. We might try talking, dressing, or acting like them. But no matter how we try, we can never be them and they can never be us. In fact, if we could change places with them, we wouldn't be happy at all because we're made to be only us.

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