Spastic Scholastics

Last night I found myself consulting with my daughters Aly and Avery about school. Avery has already decided what courses she would like to take next year for her junior year of high school and we were chatting about why she chose certain classes over others. Aly was sharing with me that she is on the verge of a meltdown because she has an overabundance of homework right now and she is hoping she can make it through without coming completely unglued.

I am often amazed at these young women of mine. They are always surprising me with their scholastic abilities. I am certain that these gifts of intelligence and scholastic aptitude did not come from me and I often marvel at what they know and how much drive they have to learn more. There is a part of me that is jealous of the sheer ease with which they can study and learn just about anything.

I have on my hands to spastic scholastics. They were born to learn and they love to learn and I wonder how this happened. I am not a scholar. I was never the class smarty pants. I made it through school but it did not come easy to me. Watching my children dream and plan their futures and struggling with their homework makes me wish I had realized my potential when I was where my girls are now. There is no way to know why one person is bright and learns easily while another cannot figure out anything and fights to just do the minimum required.

Whatever the reason is I once again have to remind myself we are always where we are suppose to be. There is also the fact that we all have our own time and plan for our potential. What one person assumes is a failure could very well be what makes them right for something even more fulfilling in their life. I marvel that Aly has the kind of homework that challenges her to the extent that it does. I am thrilled that Avery cares so much about her life direction that she is even considering her plan so far ahead of schedule. When I step back though, I realize that just yesterday my children could barely make it out the door in one piece, so I suspect that my calling has always been motherhood.

Years ago when my oldest daughter Ashleigh was born I felt that call. I knew that I had been given a very special gift. I was entrusted with a life that, with just the right amount of love and care would become a great person, with endless potential. In time I was chosen to care for two more very special individuals, and although I have sometimes questioned whether I was truly the right person for the job, I have found that my life is rich with love and joy because of these wonderful children and the opportunity to mother them.

It was a good night. There were heart to heart talks about school and goals. There was some discussion about rest and planning and there were even a few laughs and when it was all over, my spastic scholars climbed into bed and rested their weary heads just a bit earlier than the night before. That's when I knew that I may not be a scholar, but I might have this Mom thing figured out, at least for today.