A Tribute to My Children

I nag a lot as a mom. I push my children pretty hard and don't praise them as often as I should. I don't know if that's because I was raised that way, too, or what. I just want the best for them. I know they can succeed in life if they work hard. As my children grow older, I tend to push harder. It may be because I am a teacher and I see so many children with potential that are just too lazy to reach it. Whatever the reason for my parenting skills (which are far from perfect), I feel the need to brag about my children.

Faith is now 19. She'll be 20 in November. Wow, she has grown into a beautiful young lady. I have always been the hardest on her. I think it's paying off, too. She had a hard time in school as a child and all the way through high school. She struggled to keep her grades up and she seemed to always get picked on by other girls. But, I'm proud of her. She has always stood her ground and faced the bullies. She still does now! She knows that she doesn't have to take what is dealt out by these people. She also knows that it doesn't matter what other people think. She does what is right, not what is popular. She helps people that are obviously needing it. Now that she is in college, she's meeting more of a variety of people. All ages, all races, all walks of life. She seems to befriend those that others shun. She worries about their well-being, too. I'm proud of the fact that Faith cares. So many young people don't stop to care about others, but Faith does.

I'm also proud of her because she's becoming very responsible. I've never been good at saving up for things - like college. So, Faith has been on her own to get loans or grants to pay her way. So far, she's managing very well. She works hard at Lowe's as a cashier and makes sure that bills get paid, gas gets put in her truck and she even keeps up with the maintenance on her truck. She also has her career figured out - criminal investigations focusing on animal cruelty. Yes, she gets her love of animals from me. But she's taking it one step further and she's going to enforce the law where animals are concerned. Her heart is huge. If she sees an animal that needs help, she makes sure it gets it. She recently rescued a very small kitten from Lowe's parking lot. It had crawled up into someones engine and she could hear it crying. She didn't just walk away, she got on the ground, crawled up under the car and found the kitten. She never stopped to think about getting dirty or what if the owner of the car comes up and gets mad. She just did what needed to be done. That's why I'm so proud of her. She does what needs to be done and doesn't wait on someone else to do it. If we had more Faith's in the world, it would be a much better place.

As she works her way through college, she's also decided to take on another challenge: marriage. She knows how much work it takes. She sees her dad and I and all of our struggles. For some reason, she thinks it's worth it. I approve of the guy. I like Walter a lot and I think he compliments Faith very well. So our new adventure over the next year is planning the wedding. It's an exciting time, emotional time and just plain fun. I want Faith to know that she is the most deserving young bride that ever lived. I hope that I am able to make her wedding dreams come true. Those things are so important. While she was in high school, she got homecoming maid a couple of times and of course there was always dances and prom. I never spent the money on her like so many other mom's did. Most of her dresses were either borrowed or from the second-hand store. I don't say this to embarrass her, but again to say how proud I am of her. It never seemed to bother her to wear these dresses. Nothing was wrong with them - they were just used. (Worn maybe once before.) Most of the girls get new dresses for homecoming and prom, but it didn't bother Faith to wear a used one. Always the smart and level-headed girl. I think she has her priorities straight. So when it was time to go wedding dress shopping, I took her to the best dress shop in the state. I wouldn't let her worry about price - she deserves the best. And now, we are waiting for "the one" to come in. She wasn't picky, wasn't hard to please. She found her dress pretty quickly. And it is beautiful on her. It doesn't break the bank, but more importantly, it's brand new! For the most important day in her life (so far) she'll have the dress of her dreams on! As Faith's Mom, I just couldn't be more proud. She has my heart so full I can't even explain it.

James is so different from his sister! He's twelve. I'm proud of him for different reasons, of course. He's my baby, my youngest. And he struggles in school as well. But, he figured out a great way to overcome some of his problems. One problem he has is dyslexia. Reading is very hard for him. His solution? Books on cd. I think it's great! He gets a book and the cd and just follows along. It strengthens his reading skills, helping him learn to identify words more easily. He's not embarrassed about it, he deals with it. Some parents would be all upset and embarrassed. Not me, I'm proud of him. He does the best that he can and that's all I ask of him.

He also has a very huge heart, like Faith. He has compassion for others that boys usually don't have. He's always quick to jump in and give a helping hand. He works for our elderly neighbor quite often. Whether it's mowing or chopping down trees, he's been there to help. James also has the same passion for animals. If James has taught me anything, it's to have compassion for ALL creatures. If we see a turtle or snake in the road, we must stop to save it! Just last night I had to back up down the street because a snake was crossing the road. What does James do? Chases it off into the grass. And this was a Copperhead! With James, I have to make sure I never run over a frog, turtle or snake! I would be the most evil person if I ever did that! I'm proud of James because he has opened my eyes up to see all of the critters living in this world. And all play an important role.

One thing about James is that he is very close to me. If I have a down day, he's there to lift me up. I don't care what's going on, he can make me laugh. And he's not afraid to show affection towards me. Even in public. He's quick to hug me and kiss me no matter where we are and no matter who's watching. He's not ashamed to have the mom that's on the sideline of the football field yelling the loudest! My baby is a big boy and he knows how to tackle! I love to cheer him on at games and he hasn't told me yet that I embarrass him! I'm sure that day will come, but for now, I can enjoy being the loudest mom on the field!

Every parent should be proud of their children. I'm so proud of both of mine. They are very strong individuals. I get a lot of compliments on them. I've yet to meet an adult that didn't like them. One day, James and I were in a fast food restaurant and he saw a teacher from school. He went right over and was talking away with her. As we walked off, I heard the teacher tell her friends what a sweet boy James is. She wasn't even his regular teacher! She had him for reading, I think. But, to hear a compliment that was behind my back - I wasn't supposed to hear it - made me feel so good. Being a teacher myself, I know how it feels to have a student come up to me. Sometimes I enjoy it and sometimes I try to hide - it depends on who the student is. But hearing her say that about James was just wonderful because I know that she really meant it!

We still have a lot of life left and as they grow, I will become more and more proud. They will each face new challenges and I will be right there to help and support them. I don't know how it happened, but my children are the greatest and most successful accomplishments of my life! If I could shout it from the mountain tops, I would! I'm a very proud mom!