Awards Ceremony 2020..

Last week, the boys had their first semester Awards Ceremony.

I am so proud of these boys of mine. They work hard in school, the grades they receive don't necessarily come easy to either of them, but I often think, the best lessons come from the hardest of challenges. We may not like to read independently because it's hard and takes twice as long, math worksheets with lots of problems may make our minds a jumbled mess, practice STAAR reading tests may be absolute torture to our minds, but we do it.

We do it because meeting the expectations of those who believe in us is a reward all in itself. We do it because if we are not constantly stretching our limits, proving to ourselves that we can push just a little bit further, then we will fall further behind. We do it because being the best version of ourselves means doing the hard things with grit and persistence.

Both boys got perfect attendance- yay, for a healthy start to the year- and AB Honor Roll. In our home we celebrate hard work. Grades are numbers that I refuse to let define my boys as hard as that might be. The boy's Dyslexia teacher told me the other day, "It takes them so much longer to read because the first time they read, it is decoding and sounding out. They then have to go back and reread to understand what they actually read." Can you image reading a book this way? Can you image having to do this in a class full of distractions? It's hard- so very, very hard. We don't always get to bring home great grades, but when we do, I know it was not easy. Sometimes, our little minds have just had enough and our best was a 64 instead of an 88. I'm ok with that. I am proud of their AB Honor Roll, but I also know the day may come when they just couldn't quite get there. My focus tries to stay on their attitude and work ethic... their actual grades are not a true representation of knowledge, because, just like they aren't perfect, neither are our school systems.

Remi brought home several other awards. He got the Math Award and the Art Award. The older Remi gets, I see more and more that he is the most equal combination of Micah and I. These two awards attest to the fact he has his daddy's math mind and his momma's creative drive.

Remi also received a very special award.

For the first semester, he received the Wildcat Pride Award. I did not know he was getting this and as his teacher read these words out loud, I thought, 'what an amazing student about to receive this honor'! About halfway through the speech, she said Remi's name and it was instant tears. Hearing the encouraging, loving words of his teacher read aloud for all ears to hear, was surreal. I was floating, trying to hold in the tears before my emotions got out of control. Pure joy, pride, admiration... all bubbling to the brink, wanting to spill out. I could have stood up, ran to the stage, grabbed Remi with both arms and spun him around and around! I could have done a hundred cartwheels up and down the gym floor, I could have taken the microphone and given my own speech, telling his teacher that what she had just done, was SO MUCH BIGGER than just the piece of paper she handed Remi- but I didn't.

I sat there, tiny little tears spilling down my cheeks, my heart all but bursting out of my chest, and watched my Remi stand just a little bit taller in front of all of his peers, wearing the smile he reserves for only the happiest of times, and receive an award for his best being enough. I watched my little man, humbly accept this honor, soaking up every second of this little moment in time, where the spotlight was just for him!

And you know what, watching him in that moment, I was proud. So very proud, of every little thing about my boy... the good, the hard, the triumphs, the silent struggles, the tears... it is all a part of a journey that I am proud to get to be a part of!