Conferences

The boys started a new school this fall. Both were nervous, especially G.J. I am so relieved and happy to report that they are both thriving.

We had their conferences, and both teachers had only wonderful things to say about the boys. Each boy got a teacher that was an excellent fit for their personalities. We are so thankful for these teachers, and for the other kids that are sharing their days with G.J. and M.C.

G.J. had become somewhat self-conscious about some of his abilities. The big one was handwriting. This has been frustrating for me, because in my opinion his handwriting is really neat for a boy his age. It actually looks exactly like my brother's. And my brother is doing just fine in his life, thank you very much. Actually, I am a bit jealous, since my handwriting is barely legible. Sometimes I am tempted to blame it on the car accident that crushed my right wrist many years ago. But the truth is that my handwriting was terrible even before that. And I haven't written in cursive since 3rd grade. I feel like I'm making it through life okay, even with terrible handwriting. I just need to write as quickly as the thoughts stream out of my head. I never had time for the beautiful flowing writing of other girls my age. So when there are so many things that truly matter to me about my kids' development and learning and understanding of their world, it bothers me that my son has been made to believe that he should worry so much about his handwriting.

However, at his conference his teacher told us how much attention and effort he puts into his writing, and especially his new cursive writing (and now you know how much I care about that :). But then she said something I will never forget. She said he often takes so much time with it that he isn't able to finish in time (big surprise - G.J. has ALWAYS had his own timeline for everything). Then she looked at him and said, "but then when he is done and he brings it to me - what's that I always say?" He looked down, a little embarrassed and mumbled something about not remembering. Then she said, "I always tell him, 'Wow, G.J., that was worth the wait!"
And I watched him glow in her praise. It was magical.

I saw my son in a new light in that moment. This kind lady had made me stop and think about how I approach and receive my talented, soft-hearted, and thoughtful son. He is always the SLOWEST at any task, and can't remember a darn thing or where he left it last. But he is always ABSOLUTELY "worth the wait".

I can't tell you how thankful I am for the two teachers who pour themselves into my boys this year. They are blossoming in ways that I haven't seen before. And when I see my boys from their eyes, I am reminded of how special each of them is.

So although I still don't place much value in handwriting, I enjoy seeing how hard G.J. works at it, and I realize how special this teacher is that he wants to please with his work.

You, dear teacher souls, are also worth the wait.