God only knows what else he is capable of.

There he goes my son, heading to the golf cart ready to take it for another spin. I had no idea he could drive. He went out for the first time with his Dad and a close family friend who insisted that Ian drive them out to the course. There was a whole line up of carts ready to leave and there was my son in the drivers seat. The cart seemed simple enough to operate. So as they drove away there sat my son looking confident when barely a second passed he turned to the right and drove directly into the line up of cars next to his! I tried not to look. The negative possibilities were endless, but since Ian was driving I felt like that in order for me to be a good parent this was one of those situations where it was essential that I be there whether I like it or not.
All the manly golfers behind them had to stop their carts and wait until Ian backed up his cart and straighten it out so there was, how shall I say, some beers before noon direction being given by the golfing men. In other words, lots of shouting and cursing by the men waiting to golf. Ian was climbing out of the cart trying to escape, but our family friend Tommy wouldn't have any of it. With a look of glee in his eyes Tommy insisted my son sit down and take his time backing up the cart (thereby etching a place in my heart forever) as Ian proceeded to floor it in reverse & crash into golfers behind him. By this time the manly golfers saw what was going on and perhaps sympathized a little as they recollected their own early driving days. The tension subsided as they more patiently began to laugh a little. Seconds later my son drove off acting perfectly capable and I imagine somewhat thrilled as if nothing had happened.
Let's face it though, a nearly fourteen year old can only watch four men golf for so long. Why drive them around having to stop and wait when he could drive his mother around the golf course uninterrupted?
Yeah, that was exciting and unexpected (for me). Let's just say I sprouted a few grey hairs that day, two when I had to grab the wheel and two more as I shouted, "Brake, brake!
At some point while driving his Dad and friends around Ian realized, yes, I can do this and I do it rather well. Ian came back from that experience somehow changed. Sitting beside him watching as he navigated the narrowly paved course the word fearless kept entering my mind. Ian is acting fearless I thought, and this scares me.
What concerns me though is how my son is now totally convinced he can drive. If I gave him the car keys so he could go run an errand for me, I believe he wouldn't think twice about obliging. I guess it's good, this teen spirit. If kids didn't feel compelled to move forward, life wouldn't be nearly as interesting.

Thanks Uncle Paul for lovingly watching over your nephew Ian.

Quiet before the Storm

Ian just graduated from an idyllic private school where most children (including Ian) felt like it was their second home. It wasn't perfect but it was close. I wish every child had the good fortune to attend a school where they could take art classes and join the chorus and perform in theatre productions and learn to play bells in the bell choir. Ian got to do all of this in seventh and eighth grade.
I feel like this time in his life is mimicking today's weather. It's totally unpredictable.

This photo was taken right before a storm blew in. We have hundreds of cherries on our cherry tree. It's pretty cool to see.

Memorial Day

click on this photo to see our flag up close and beautiful.

I am leaving today's post to my dear Eleanor. I thought this was a fitting quote for today.

"Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry his own weight, this is a frightening prospect."~Eleanor Roosevelt

"All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players.They have their exits and entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts..."

As you can probably tell by now, I love William Shakespeare. The above is from As You Like It.
I find whenever I am searching for meaning in- whatever, all I have to do is read a little Shakespeare & everything becomes clear.

Yesterday my son Ian found out that he didn't get into Regis High School- a school he so very much wanted to attend. Before he opened the letter I told him I knew how he would feel if he was a semi-finalist, but how would he feel if he didn't get in? He stopped & thought a moment & then he said, "Then it wasn't meant to be." Thank you God, I thought to myself-this kid has got it going on.

As I looked over his shoulder reading the letter with him, he came to the part where they wrote, "I regret to..." he let out a small sound of disappointment that breaks every parents heart when they hear it. Then he finished reading their long thoughtful letter of rejection-which was very kind of the school to take the time to write.

Afterwards we hugged & we talked.

We knew we would hear from the school by December 7th. At some point in the last couple of days we would think, we may find out today & then we'd get excited when the mail came. I could tell how disappointed he was. What a great feeling it would be to be picked as one of the 230 semi-finalists out of the approximately 800 that tested. The application process was long & involved & Ian went through it entirely on his own. After reading what he wrote on his application, & watching him exit the building after the entrance exam at Regis, my husband & I were hard pressed to think of a reason why he wouldn't at the least, make it to the semi-finalist stage. Ian is a model student with first honors & academic performance certificates since he started school. When he was home schooled he tested post high school. He also has a long list of community service to his credit & is an excellent violinist. So it's fair to say we kind of had our hopes up. But he didn't get in. & as much as I felt like he would have learned so much in what seemed like a magnificent learning environment, I can't help but feel Regis really missed out. Of course I am his mother so I know what you are thinking-but that' s OK, I wouldn't expect otherwise after writing a statement like that-but I also know that what I just wrote is absolutely true.

& Ian, if you are reading this, please know how proud of you I am for trying your best. You are always brave in that way, you are never afraid of uncertain outcomes. You inspire me as I watch you living your life to the fullest.

& like any anticipated event, it's a letdown when it's over-even if it's just as far as the parents are concerned-kids seem so much more resilient. The good news is, now we can be excited about what is in store for this bright young man. If he wasn't meant to be at Regis, a school my son, my husband & I thought would be a perfect fit-that must mean there has to be another place, a place where he truly belongs. & if Regis is all we think it is, than wherever Ian winds up will be even greater for him. That is just how it works, you know? Sometimes a power greater than ourselves gets to decide what we will be doing. Actually I think that is always the case-only sometimes he lets us believe otherwise.

Dear God, please guide us as parents by helping us encourage our son to follow the path he is meant to take in his life. Help us not to bend your will, but accept your will and do so in complete faith.