Wednesday, June 11, 2014

A Good-Bye to the Little School

     Where has the time gone?  Where have the years flown?  When have the children grown?  They seem like little "big" people now, mature way beyond their numbered age.  Perhaps it is me but I can not remember being so old so young.  The words, the thoughts, the mannerisms are all so grown-up.  I can understand my youngest fighting so hard to be tall, to be older, to be like her sister.  She wants to be the sister she looks up to, probably better, stronger, faster, smarter.  The competition never ends.
     Yet, her older sister looks at her with an understanding eye.  She picks her sister up and helps her reach those lofty goals of overachieving.  She is a patient soul that loves her sister, cares about the friends around her, and holds her family above all else.  She can not understand the drama of the schoolyard, the politics of the playground, the competition of grades, projects, and friendships.  She believes that everyone can achieve more by helping each other and everyone can be friends if they simply overlook the little nonsenses.  She may be a little naive about people but she believes strongly.
     During this year of changes, growth, and anticipation, she has suffered some in her studies as the distractions of the impending "graduation" from grammar school, elementary grades, and recess have loomed large.  She has been sidetracked by the petty dramas (in her eyes major happenings and life-altering events) that come with nearing the dreaded teen years.  She is truly excited for changing schools and entering middle/high school, of taking on new challenges and adapting to new routines.  To her parents, grades are not nearly as important as her growth as a person and in this she has excelled.  She refuses to compromise her beliefs though she struggles to voice them (which in time should sort itself out).  Patiently allowing her sister to keep up and keeping her eye out for the pitfalls of others' behavior while keeping her head in her books.  There is an age, a wisdom in her eyes and it is comforting to her parents.
     The nonsense of a year ago may have had its effect on the school year but it has made my daughter stronger for it.  She has not become jaded or excuse-ridden.  She has not looked to her peers as adversaries or their parents as villians.  The world is as it should be, a place to adapt to and continue on, stoic is perhaps the best way to be and perhaps her parents should learn from that.  Being angry, adverse, upset "with an attitiude" may keep one warm during the winter but it is no way to look forward to the freedom of the summer months, especially for a kid.  The neighbors and "friends" and hypocrites of a year ago are still there, pulling their slackers up by dragging the studious down but my daughter has reminded us that only her paper matters.  And she keeps her eyes on her own paper and that's all that really matters.

1 comment:

  1. I'm hoping you shared this with your daughter...it is enlightening, to anyone, but will mean something special to her because she'll know it is from your heart!

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