The Well Accoladed 12 year old...

So, our 6th grader IS smarter than a 5th grader. We made the rounds like crazy the last couple of weeks of school. Between Dylan's performances and Folk Fair and Veronica's award for most improved reader (only 3 in her class) and now Taylor's middle school awards ceremony, we felt that with all of these events, we were walking the red carpet. I'm not a fan of celebrating mediocrity (kids have a graduation ceremony from elementary to middle school just because), but I think if we're going to recognize our kids, let's make it fun, let's make them feel like the stars that they are.

Both Mark and I commented at how different this awards ceremony was than the one for the elementary school children we'd been to the week before. There was little enthusiasm from the teachers reading the awards and a stoic, guarded response from us as parents. We were unsure whether we could give a loud "shout out" to our kids; partly because no other parents were doing it, but also trying to determine if our moody pre-teen would be embarrassed and later burn down the house...so we clapped with reservation to show our child our excitement for achieving something great.

Taylor is a brilliant 12 year old and I'm not just saying that...he truly is. After going through his parent's divorce and still trying to figure things out and now hormones and girls and trying to determine his level of commitment to God, he's got a stepmother and stepbrother and lots of rules added to his responsibilities. There's a lot. Often you see children in this type of situation really struggling to do what is right or best. He finished the end of his 6th grade year with many earned accolades...some of them are so fancy, I don't even know what they mean (but clap and smile anyway, they're impressive).

His Awards:
Continental Mathlete
Music Contest
Pep Band
Track
Scholastic Achievement Award (3.67 GPA)

What a blessing to see his achievements. I wanted to stand and shout for him like we do at a Packers or Brewers Event. I wanted to take pictures like the paparazzi does of celebrities doing far less interesting things. I wanted to make it a bigger deal than what the school was doing. But I stopped remembered that both of us (and his mother) were there during a workday and calmed myself in knowing that our presence had to have made it special for Taylor. Kids need to know that their parents are there for them and thankfully we all were.

Please pray for his 7th grade year to be as successful in these academic arenas, but that it'll also be a year that brings him closer to making a decision about putting God at the center of his life. That is the most important honored place to be.