Biggest Milestone...to Date

In about 12 hours I will be sitting in the midst of family and friends (ours and several thousand others) for my son's high school graduation ceremony. I have been touched by the congratulatory messages he / we have received over the past few weeks, whether they be on Facebook, phone calls, texts, or in the mountain of graduation cards. Each one has put a huge smile on my face.

Yes, I am a VERY proud mother!

Now, I will never be ungrateful to those providing the wonderful words of kindness, congratulations, or praise for the success my son has had, but to be honest, it is all about HIS determination. It was HIS decision to audition for his first theater production (High School Musical) when he was in sixth grade, to try out for the highly acclaimed and award winning NHS Academic Decathlon at the end of his sophomore year, and set the goal to be a National AP and National Merit Scholar. These are objectives he set for himself ~ and subsequently achieved! I can't take credit for this success. Yes, we provided him with some opportunities, encouragement, and support along the way, but this is HIS fault!

In all honesty we deserve no praise for the young man who will be giving the Salutatorian address this afternoon. God blessed us seventeen (and a half) years ago with this beautiful baby. He entrusted him to our care and He expected us to exceed His expectations in this baby boy's upbringing. Lord, I hope we have done the quality job (to this point) you envisioned.When we were blessed as parents in 1995, it became our responsibility to love, nurture, and protect this precious life. 

Responsibility ~ the quality or state of being responsible, moral, legal, or mental accountability.

I have been uncomfortable accepting congratulatory praise for my son's success. Again, this is HIS success. What I want to say is, "Thank you. I have (hopefully) met my responsibility as a parent, to this point." I know it sounds crass, but believe me that is not the intention. It goes back to the responsibility God placed in my (our) hands all those years ago when this frail ~ our son was born with Hyaline Membrane Disease, little life was born. 

I hear, "It's not MY fault" all the time from children and adults alike. I don't believe people take responsibility, of any kind, seriously. If you can pass with a 70, then let mediocrity reign, right? NO! Everyone needs to strive for excellence. One person's level of excellence can be vastly different from someone else's, but why not endeavor for YOUR very best, all the time! 

It seems when it comes to education so many students want to get by expending the least amount of effort possible. Is this what we want for the next generation of the work force? It is a matter of responsibility. As parents, not only are we responsible for our children, but we should also be held accountable for teaching them this very important quality.

I believe the proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child", but everyone needs to remember a parent is the child's first teacher! We must step up to the plate and teach our children, support the professionals in the classroom, and expect the very best from each and every individual. If we are accepting of the ordinary, then why try harder? I will tell you why, because it is deserved. Each child merits a parents very best. I know some days it is harder than others to strive for perfection, but don't our children deserve the attempt?

Okay, I will step down from my soap box and end with some of the things I will miss greatly in the next days, weeks, months, and years to come.

• reciting the lines for each character, especially Sheldon, from the Big Bang Theory
• singing in the car to some of our favorite songs from Wicked ("Because I Knew You"), Spamalot ("I'm Not Dead Yet!"), 1776 (I Have Come to the Conclusion ~ "Sit Down John"), Ragtime ("Wheels of a Dream"), etc.
• running after the cats trying to catch them (hopefully not ever causing the cat to spill a fully melted candle of wax on itself EVER again!)
• asking him to take out the garbage, empty the dishwasher, put his clothes down the laundry chute, etc. (over and over and over and over again)
• driving from here to there, back here and then over there
• whistling while working on the computer (okay, maybe not miss so much, as notice the silence)
• talking about school - and his daily "quality educational experience"
• the vast multitasking (listening to AcDec music, writing notes, reading study materials, and "watching" BBT ~ I'm sure there are  many other items to be added to this list, but these were the most evident when walking by)
• being mocked (I don't have an accent!!!)
• arguing (yes, I said it...I will miss it, but I remain the Queen!)

Congratulations, son, on all of your hard work. I have loved you from the moment I learned you were coming into this world and I could never have dreamed of the greatness you have achieved. You are my love, my life and today we honor you as you end this chapter in your life. Now, on to Part Two in this awesome book. I know the best is yet to come. 

I love you with all my heart ~ Moma

9/10 complete

Early this morning I finished reading the 9th book in my summer reading challenge, one book in the adult controversial category. Did I choose Shades of Grey by E.L. James? No. I actually chose a book that was controversial when it was published in 1899, The Awakening by Kate Chopin. I chose this book because I was intrigued by the type of writing that would be considered controversial at the end of the 19th Century.

The Awakening
by Kate Chopin

Last weekend my family attended a wonderful local production of the musical Ragtime, based on E.L. Doctrow's novel, published in 1975. I have not yet read the book, but it is on my book bucket list. My husband and I had seen the show before and truly loved the historical references and the manner in which the characters' lives cross paths. While reading The Awakening, I was reminded of the character, Mother, in Ragtime. The book opens with Edna Pontellier and her family as they vacation at the Grand Isle Resort  near the Gulf of Mexico. While  enjoying the area, Edna is befriended by the Robert, the resort's manager. There interactions and conversations lead Robert to feelings he should not have for a married woman. Upon realizing these feelings can never lead to anything good, Robert quickly leaves for Mexico. Once Robert leaves, Edna decides she no longer wants to follow in the normal society manner, but choose to lead her life in a manner that makes her happy and enjoy her life. Mother's metamorphosis in the musical, although not as dramatic as in The Awakening, can be compared to Edna's claim of independence and personal happiness when she refuses to stay at home to receive her callers and then moves out of her family home to live alone.


I wonder how Edna would feel in today's world? It seems the morals of today have become lax and extra-marital affairs are more common than not. Divorce and separations occur on a daily basis and more and more couples are living together before, and sometimes instead of choosing marriage. I don't approve of these loose morals for myself, but why should I tell someone how they can obtain and maintain their happiness. Would I make the same choices Edna made? I can't really answer that question. I am happily married, I know that, but I also know I have a great deal more opportunities afforded to me than Edna ever would have had in her lifetime.


As a woman in the year 2012, I have a very difficult time putting myself in Edna's place. I, like so many other women, take for granted my independence, my ability to make my own choice, go where I want to go and do what I want to do. Connecting Edna to Mother, I can see how their lives were really not their own, but revolved around their husband and children.  As a wife and mother I believe my family is very important, but I also know that in order to have a happy family I have to be happy as well. I don't feel my family is neglected in any way because I choose to work outside the home, go to a movie with my girl friends, or even blog after reading a great book. In the 21st Century, we may not be a traditional family in the sense of these characters from long ago, but I believe we are happier because we can develop our own personalities and actually be more well rounded as individuals who make up a family.

My final thoughts are of gratitude for living in a time when I have the ability to make personal choices and not be condemned by society for being myself.