We have been notified that Emma will be able to attend our chosen school. I hope we have made the right decision, but also know she will do fine where ever she lands. She has two caring, educated parents at home and a support network of grandparents, friends and other loved ones who are there to help her each step of the way. Life is good.
And now the real adventure begins!! Our first official visit to the school as an enrolled family begins next week. Not sure what to expect, which seems odd since I use to do these type of events in my own classroom. But- I guess that's the point- this isn't my classroom and letting go of how things should be is a really important step for me. Perhaps I should say a series of steps, because I doubt this will be an easy journey. Letting go in many things in life is difficult. But letting go when it involves my daughter and my profession- is very difficult. But I also understand the importance of stepping back and watching things flow without a constant need for redirection. It will be a wonderful adventure- not always an easy one- but one I am finally looking forward to.
About Me
- Erin
- A former teacher and PhD student- but best of all a mom to two wonderful children, Emma and Keenan.
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ReplyDeleteI wish I would have read this blog earlier; I would like to think that I might have been able to help you through this difficult decision making process. I will say that it seems like you have done some serious soul searching and have had to face up to some inner obstacles to overcome. As I will always and forever be your big sister, let me say that I am very proud of you Boo. I know from personal experience that this is not any easy process. Many people do not take the time to take such reflection, to wrestle with their conflicting thoughts and find that they may have some inner obstacles to overcome, let alone to take actions to try to overcome these obstacles. Folks that do not take the time to do this do not grow as human beings, but you are taking on this tough challenge and will grow as a result of the process. (I think my psychology degree is showing )
ReplyDeleteI know that you want everything to be perfect for Emma. As she is my only niece and god-child, and whom I love beyond belief, I want nothing but the best for my little pooh-bear. Unfortunately, I think you and I both know that no matter how much we may wish this for her, in reality this will never be the case. Life simply doesn’t work that way. The way I look at it is that by her having to overcome some minor difficulties early on she will learn how to deal with challenges and that she can overcome many of them if she works on them. If she stumbles along the way, that is ok too, she will learn other life lessons from this. One of the hardest to learn is that things don’t always work out the way we want them to, not a fun one to learn, but one that I truly believe that is essential to learn and accept if we are ever to be truly happy in life. I guess my point is that no matter how much we may want to shelter her from the tough and less-than-pretty side of life, she will have to encounter it at some point in her life. So it is better for her to have to learn how to work through these tough times while she is still young and is in a loving and caring environment to help her through.
My finally thought is that I think Emma is a loving, smart, warm, outgoing, albeit sometimes a bit willful (gee, I wonder where she gets that from), little girl, I am sure she will do well no matter what schools she attends throughout the years. She has so many people, well educated people, that love her and will support and encourage her throughout her schooling. Look at us. We did not always attend school in the most pristine environment or always have the best teacher each year (I am thinking of a certain 1st grade teacher…), but we had people around us that were educated and encouraged us along the way and I think the both of us turned out pretty well. We are both well educated, with advanced degrees and professional careers (you are just on hiatus from yours). And if she doesn’t excel in every subject, that is ok too. No one is perfect and no one can be great at everything. For example, I can quickly make sense of complicated rate formulas with little difficulty that most people in my field can’t understand at all, but if it wasn’t for spell-check you might not be able to read this.
I guess what I am really trying to say is that I think Emma will do just fine. You and Joe are doing a nice job of raising her. I might not always agree with everything you do (I think the world might end if I did), but that is ok too. Also, you will make what you see as mistakes along the way and that should be expected, because no one is perfect, including you. You don’t have to be and I hope you realize this. You are a good mother and I am very proud of you. Besides if you get this stressed out over what kindergarten she should attend, you are doomed when she hits puberty!
Hang in there Boo, I am sure this is not easy for you, but remember you always have your big sister that loves you and is here for you!