Gazing up at my beautiful ‘Mountain Air’ blue, freshly painted with the final-final coat, family room ceiling this morning and reminiscing of my Little Girl2 and all the challenges she has faced and her many-many accomplishments in her first 18.5 years upon this earth, I have reached a couple of comparisons between the two. Now I know this is just me being emotional, but you have to admit that it is also quite ironic given the fact she is heading off to art school (Minneapolis College of Art & Design) this August. Oh yeah, I am looking at ‘another coat of paint’ as in finishing off vs. covering up too.
So this final-final coat of paint was applied under the watchful eye of some dutiful friends last night. They helped eye-ball the situation, staying objective, pointing out the weak thinner areas of coverage from the first 3 coats of paint - and provided some good tips on application of paint to a very challenging surface – a dimly light, textured, and vaulted ceiling. Reflect on those few sentences in a metaphoric way. Is it getting deep in here or what? Of course, they will say they were here to keep me and the Hubby from a Monday Night Brawl – since he is unable to appreciate the truly fabulous color choice, or just how much better it looks over the ordinary, albeit practical, white it formerly was. He would tell you that I am just “over-honey-doing” him to help get myself through a rough (I prefer the word transitional) time in my life.
And so, standing back and reflecting on my beautiful 18.5 year old daughter this morning, I’m trying to look at her today like my friends looked at my ceiling last night. I’m trying to remove any thoughts about the job I’ve done (the first 3 coats) and reflect about what I can do (or shouldn’t do) with the next final-final coat I have over her last few months at home. She is the artist, after all, of her own life. I’m just rolling on a few coats that she can build from. I’m sure I will be reminded at some near point in the future to come back to his blog post just for this paragraph.
So today, everything I have done right or wrong I set aside. I know that she is the awesome wonderful young woman she is more because of the choices she has made and not the choices I made (or did not make). I also trust a Higher Power - even higher than a Mother's Love - to keep her safe in the Big World.
Her list of accomplishments is unending but includes: Being a Wonderful Person, National Honor Society, National Art Honor Society, Indian Princess 2008-2009 (school mascot), Wresting Manager (three years), Accomplished Artist, and Good Friend. And my favorite one? She has been able to make choices for herself about her goals, friends, and direction of life that took her from being a “Worrisome Teen” to an “Accomplished Teen” in her parent’s eyes in a fairly short period of time (can you hear my huge sigh of relief or see the tears I'm crying).
By age 18 she has accomplished things in life that I have not been able to do by age 46. She has been faced with challenges I never faced, and overcome every single one – triumphantly I may add. Her real challenges rolled in just after she turned two – and kept on coming. She was a victim (little “v”) and became a Survivor (capital “S”). She can love above the circumstances of that abuse – even loving her abuser. Not being in the same spot with her on this makes her such a better woman than myself and leaves me awe of her strength. At five she was diagnosed as “profoundly Dyslexic” and with a “Genius IQ”. Where at first I saw this as only and hopeless and frustrating situation for her to deal with, she put her own twist on the problem – turned it into a challenge vs. a disability – and rose above it through hard work and determination. And now she is a “momma-proud” Member of the National Honor Society (both Academic and Art) – without any IEPs or other academic accommodations for her disability.
I’ve got so much to teach (really to learn) from my daughter.
We are quite similar in many ways, some good some bad. Since I want to keep the focus on her in the blog and keep it on the positive side, we will just “move on” from those comparisons! If High School is truly just practice for Real Life, I’m pretty confident that she is going to be just fine out of the nest. Here are just a few of her very positive qualities:
She dreams big, and follows those dreams boldly.
She is both impulsive and a deep-thinker - knowing which approach to take given a situation.
She will do the right thing – the majority of the time.
She is extremely intelligent, but acts really normal.
She can be selfish and selfless – which I believe is an essential survival skill in the Big World.
She has a great laugh and a heart that matches her beautiful smile.
She has a great sense of humor.
She knows the appropriate time and amount of sarcasm to apply.
She allows herself to “wallow in misery” - but only for a set amount of time.
She is fiercely loyal and pretty honest too.
She knows and practices the art of forgiveness.
She knows how to talk to, and deal with, a wide variety of people.
She loves all types of diversity and learning new things.
Come on World - my daughter is READY FOR YOU. But know, that if you do anything to hurt her – you will have to answer to ME. Yeah, I’d take on the World for one of my kids.
And yes, those are numerous honor cords she is wearing. She may be disappointed that she is not one of the Top 10 academically in her class - but I ask you, what’s that compared to being on your Mother’s Top 4? And as a Mother who has not been very critical (my biggest maternal character flaw) in this post, I hope she doesn't behave this goofy for the real pictures we take tonight. ;0)
And actually, at least for today, because I try hard not be play favorites – today she is My #1.
1 comment:
Great post Marty...I adore you when you write-I see so much more to you than you let people see...does that make sense? I mean it doesn't make sense but well you know what I mean I think cause I do, but well okay-Hooray for Number Two! Huhhmmm why did we not get an announcement??????????
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