trait

Trait:  a distinguishing quality of ones personal nature


I'm a people lover. I love to meet meet new people. I love friendship. I love to sit in a mall or an airport & people watch. When I go to a football or basketball game, I see very little of the sport. I see the people. I love watching people interact, especially when children are in the picture.  I find family dynamics fascinating. 


I enjoy looking at families & seeing what traits pass from one generation to the next. From the moment a baby is born, we begin wondering who the little bundle looks like. As the child grows, his traits sometimes change. A person's traits are a mixed bag of surprises. These surprises include facial features, body types, mannerisms, temperament, intelligence, strengths, weaknesses, just about everything that makes a person who he is. 


It's fun to see what traits siblings have in common. What traits are inborn? What traits are learned? As an adult, I love connecting with my adult cousins. It never ceases to amaze me when a common trait shows itself. My favorite trait is humor. When I realize we find the same things funny, it tickles me. When I see we have the same sense of compassion, I am moved.


I even enjoy considering the traits of my Lab. What traits does he have in common with our first Lab, "Dolly?" They are both couch dwellers. They are 2 of the most loving creatures I have ever known. They both love to be loved. They both have a mind of their own. Both of them cannot resist the temptation to snatch bread off the table or a plate. 


Traits define a person. I believe we can acquire traits: like honesty, hard-working, kindness,  just to name a few. If we own traits we dislike, I think we can work to eliminate some of them. Perhaps we inherited or developed a few we despise. Maybe it's our temper, a propensity to worry,  a desire to be needed, low self-esteem, the list continues...


I believe God gives us a blue print to craft in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, & self-control. Crafting these traits, praying for them, & diligently desiring them can take a life time. They don't just happen overnight, & we are not born owning all of them. If we all truly claimed them as our own, if these traits radiated from our core, the world would be a different world.