Proud Mother

There have been so many times in my life that I have been so very proud of my children. From the time they could talk and just say a simple “Thank You” to someone without being told to, wanting to make a get-well card for someone who wasn’t feeling well. To me, those very small gestures were so important for them to become great humans. I think that was accomplished! Of course, the obvious proud moment for every parent is when they graduate from school. My daughter was the 1st to graduate in 2000 from High School, and she wanted to continue her education.

She 1st chose to go into journalism because she was a great writer. I must tell her she should write her autobiography or memoir someday. It would be a lot better written than this one. I have always said that I write from the heart. I was never good at English literature or spelling. So, thank God for spell check!     

Oh, back to her education. She was miserable in College. It was not at all what she thought journalism was going to be like. I guess her teachers from high school didn’t inform her that she would have to take subjects like geography and history. She probably should have just gone into creative writing. It was no big deal because any education is never lost! She then chose to go into her first love, becoming an early childhood educator. She was a natural! She was accepted at Vanier College and then Concordia University in the Early Childhood Elementary Education program and graduated in 2008. I was so proud of her when I volunteered in her classrooms, whether at a daycare, kindergarten or even a school for the deaf. She knew how to get their attention and was so caring with the children. I’m sure many years from now, she will have one or many of her past students come up to her and tell her how she impacted their lives. I am very proud of her, and she should be too.

The second to graduate from high school was our 1st son. He had struggled at school, not only because of Attention Deficit Disorder but he had a hard time keeping out of trouble. If something was happening in the schoolyard, he had to check it out, and then he would become part of the gang. The kids he hung around with were nice, but they were generally confused with life. Some did not come from very good homes, and others were unsure what they wanted to do with their lives. Of course, drugs were available, especially cannabis, which was a temptation for many. I didn’t think he would graduate from high school because he didn’t apply himself. He was a very intelligent boy, but he could not understand why he needed a high school diploma to succeed in life. I kept telling him that he probably would still succeed, but getting a job would be much harder. With time and maturity, it all worked out. He graduated from High School in 2002 and then chose to go out into the workforce.

It didn’t take him too long to figure out that he didn’t want to be a grease monkey at Pennzoil all his life, so he decided to take a welding course. The course was for 16 months. I was so impressed with his welding abilities. He was also a perfectionist! I still have a very intricate flower he made me, which I believe was made of copper. He also made us a 2 seater glider bench and an outdoor fireplace. Whatever he chose to make, it always turned out amazing! He received his diploma in 2004. I was so proud and so happy for him. He had succeeded at doing something he enjoyed.

Our 3rd child, graduated from High School in 2007. He always had a pretty easy time in school. He didn’t need to study much and had a great memory. He also enjoyed helping others, so he often became a teacher’s assistant. He was very involved in band and sports after school. He loved music and would spend much of his break time playing the guitar. He was known as the “Guitar Man”.

Everyone loved him! He also didn’t mind having me volunteer for many of his activities, like wrestling & rugby. Once my other kids started high school, I was no longer encouraged to volunteer. They were the average teenagers, but not him. He didn’t have a problem with his mother coming to the school. I also knew many of the teachers, since my 2 other children had gone to the same school. Even though he was involved in many different activities, he excelled in school. He graduated with honours, and he also made the decision that he wanted to continue his education at College in Mechanical Engineering. After college he moved onto University and then École de technologie supérieure ÉTS (ETS Mtl). He only had one year left to get his Engineering Diploma, and he decided to continue working at the job he got during the summer. I understand he was offered a great position, but I tried convincing him to finish the program. I think he was not enjoying the course because it was not as hands-on as he expected and was all in French. He said he could always return to finish, but I knew he wouldn’t! You rarely return once you have a good income and a job you enjoy. I was still very proud that he was comfortable with what he was doing, and that is all I truly wanted for him. He may not have the diploma, but I know he will succeed no matter what he decides to do!