My youngest child Betsie is one of those loud-at-home-but-very-shy-anywhere-else kids. It takes an enormous amount of encouragement to get her to talk to adults that ask her about school or how old she is or what she wants for Christmas. I once offered her money if she ordered her own food at a restaurant. (Bingo! Encouragement that works!) I expect Betsie to grow in her social skills as she gets older, and I have already seen growth in this area, and yet I expect she will always be a little quiet with new people.
A few months ago, I came across an article that a friend shared on Facebook about introverts. I was fascinated because I felt like I was reading an article about myself and Betsie. (And my oldest child Rachel too) I’m not rude, but small talk can be kind of exhausting if it’s not going anywhere. I like to be alone, but I also love to spend time with people in small groups. I am not a thrill seeker or the life of the party, but I enjoy meaningful relationships and conversations. Introverts love to talk. We just talk a lot to a few special people instead of to everyone we run into at the grocery store.
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