Triumph and Challenge

Being a parent throws one on a roller coaster of emotions, you are their best friend one moment and their worst enemy the next. Before Allena reached adulthood, I discovered one of the most uncomfortable parts of fatherhood were the parent-teacher conferences that were a constant throughout her school career.

Though there were lots of positive comments about my daughter (along with the necessary constructive teacher observations where improvement was needed), to me these times felt like I was on trial. I wanted to be anywhere, but at her school. (Being an involved parent in your child’s education is not always fun, but is very necessary.)

In Allena’s junior year of school, she chose to attend a nearby technical school for their Restaurant Services program. I had the opportunity to view her in action a “Bring Your Parent to School” Day during her cooking lab.

After watching her flitter around chopping this and that (multitasking), and moving between steaming pots (and serving trays) and a large cold walk-in freezer to prepare lunch for hungry students as she looked quite professional in her school uniform. I could now understand why she was exhausted before bed time, and her feet hurt. My respect for her as ad-working student was no longer in question.

I was never more proud of Allena than to see her graduate from high school, and complete her two year studies at the technical school she attended. Her high school graduation was done in an arena with at least four hundred students. The arena was also used for canine (dog) competitions and equestrian (horse) shows. I was overjoyed when her name was called and the diploma was in her hand. (Bobbi and I did it).

The completion ceremony was at least fifty students, the excitement of her mother and I still stayed high. When your children do well, it is a real shot of adrenaline to you as the parent.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with having pride in your children’s (or other’s) accomplishments. Proverbs 16:18 (from The Message) does give this warning: “First pride, then the crash—the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.” Make sure your own self esteem stays in check, but liberal with your praise of others.