After a much longer than intended break, I’m back. Well, when I say break, it hasn’t been exactly that. The first week was needed to recoup from 31 posts in 31 days, the second week was high school exam week and I had to prepare for an interview, the third week I had my interview and it was headlong into grad week for my eldest, interspersed with elementary school graduation activities for my youngest. The whole busy time was rounded off with daughter number two being baptized. Creativity had to take a back seat to all that was going on in the family. Crazy times, make-us-proud-happy-thankful-times, exhilarating and exhausting.
In the previous few years, I’ve gone to watch prom and wondered at the extravagance of it all – not to mention high expectations and pressure it puts on both students and their families. It is an expensive night, week, and indeed year without a doubt – the many grad celebrations, grad photos, the dresses, the suit hire, corsages, tickets for this and that, the girls going to have their hair and make up done, the transport.
Maybe it was because it was my son’s prom this time I just focused on the joy of it. The numerous photo ops were fun. It was great to see my son and his friends all enjoying celebrating, with the pressure of exams, projects and coursework gone. What struck me most was that whatever their pass mark, low or high, just scraping through or passing with flying colours, the teachers applaud their entrance at prom and the graduation ceremony just the same. They all get that moment of honour, whether they all appreciated that as much as I did I don’t know. Whatever their struggles and triumphs they’d earned it, they’d reached the mark, they’d graduated and that’s all that mattered. A chance to enjoy their success before heading on to their next set of challenges.
Funny to think that four and a half years ago we had no idea how this would all turn out. It was the biggest leap of faith and obedience to move here, and during celebrations like those in the last week I have to be thankful. Most of the uncertainty about moving was what it would do to the children’s lives, and there are times when we all find it tough. So when I see them now doing well at school, progressing on with their lives and most of all taking steps of faith for themselves, I see that God is very faithful.
Emma's English Kitchen 