Ever since Daniel started Kindergarten, he was taught that the first thing he had to do as soon as he got home from school, immediately after he stepped through the door and put his backpack down, was to sit down and do his homework. Anyone who knows me, knows that I may bark a good deal, but at the end of the day, these boys know how to manipulate me like silly putty, and get away with murder. Homework, though, is the one area where cajoling, begging, or whining will produce absolutely no results. When it comes to homework and schoolwork in general, I am like the Rock of Gibraltar, unmovable. So much so, that for the longest time, he thought it was "the law". I did not disabuse him of his belief, but eventually he figured out the truth. Too late, though. By now, it is a matter of habit. The poor kid does it automatically, without thinking. He comes home, he sits down, he does his homework, period.
I have wondered on occasion if I am too inflexible when it comes to school work. Am I being too strict? Am I pushing him too hard? Have I praised him enough? I would like to think that, rather than just pushing him to study, I have been instilling in him the desire to reach for excellence, to push his own limits and seek what is beyond, to always believe that he can do better. The one thing his father and I have been very careful to stress to him is that natural talent is a good thing to have -- and all too easy to waste. We have made sure he understands that success belongs to the one who seeks it, not the one who thinks it is his birth right. Smarts will only take you so far. Effort and dedication are the golden ticket, and that's where he needs to keep his sight on.
So, in a way, I cannot say I am surprised about the amount of work he puts into everything he does. If he likes something, he will go after it, with a passion that is a bit intimidating in someone so young. Everyone knows he wants to be a professional baseball player. He has said so to anyone within hearing range that will sit there long enough for him to tell them. I don't know if that will be in his cards, but one thing is certain: that dream hasn't changed in 4 years, and his determination to be better, play better, learn more hasn't wavered. The funny thing is, I always thought that this kind of dedication was reserved to baseball only. But then came basketball, and his determination to get better was exactly the same. We're now swimming, which in and of itself is an amazing feat for a kid that just last summer was still afraid to go too far from the edge of the pool. He knows he's nowhere near close to being one of the good ones, but he's already committed to getting better. Much, much better.
Academically speaking, if I think back on this past school year, I realize that I have been loosening the reigns quite a bit. I don't have to be on top of him to do things. He's doing them of his own accord. He has had an extraordinary school year (even if he cannot, for the life of him, keep quiet), with next to no involvement on my part, and that is exactly what I was aiming at with all those talks. The ones I thought were going in one ear and out the other. As it turns out, something must have stuck, because he works hard, very, very hard to get those results. And they are amazing results.
I don't know if I have praised him enough. I am certainly extremely proud of him. If I were to be any prouder, I may very well burst. But I do have a feeling I may have underpraised him a bit. I am just so weary of the constant praising kids get these days for just about anything. How are they going to learn when something is actually worth the effort, if they keep hearing "good job, Johnny" for doing things that should be second nature and require no effort? I dunno, I guess I just don't want him to stop striving for more.
So, in case I have done a poor job at showing my child how grateful I am to be his mother, here it goes (in hopes that he will someday read his mother's ramblings):
Daniel, you are a blessing to your daddy and me. We are so proud of you. Not just of your accomplishments, although those certainly make our days and bring a thousand smiles to our faces, but of the person you ARE and the promise of the man you are growing up to be. We love your passion and your dedication. We admire your humble hard work. But most of all, we absolutely revel in your kindness, your good nature and your compassion. With kids like you, this world has a tremendous amount of hope and a very bright future. You're a beacon of light, and we are grateful to the good Lord that He saw fit that we would be the lucky pair to guide your steps.
