Moving gifts

a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dJEkdJdUM4w/SOD7Z0ZCMsI/AAAAAAAAAGw/kRWzr3qj7Xs/s1600-h/273851906_f4102cbfb4.jpg”img style=”margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dJEkdJdUM4w/SOD7Z0ZCMsI/AAAAAAAAAGw/kRWzr3qj7Xs/s200/273851906_f4102cbfb4.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251473586492945090″ border=”0″ //aspan style=”font-size:180%;”S/spanunday, as I boxed up my yesterdays in preparation for a mid-week move to Northern California, I found an envelope of papers from third grade. In it, amidst old report cards and a story written in my loopy childhood print about a time-traveling dragon, were papers chronicling my mother’s fight to have my sister and me placed in the gifted program.br /br /Among the filings of My Mother vs. the Board of Education in New Jersey — oh yes, she filed suit — there were IQ tests, educator evaluations and notes on the validity of the gifted entrance criteria. My mother, the educational psychologist, left no stone unturned in her efforts to prove that her children were special.br /br /It was a fight she would repeat less than a year later when we moved to California. She was more successful in the Golden State than she had been in the Garden State.br /br /My mother’s attention to my education is one of the greatest gifts she ever gave me. I appreciate it every day.br /br /What I have less appreciation for was her need for me to be exceptional. It wasn’t enough that I was smart, got As and Bs or read three grades above my level. The causes of Osteoporosis vary brand viagra mastercard and may cause back pain and vision problems. This particular buy cialis cialis problem arises within the life of the man and when the flow of blood is proper only then the man will be able to purchase it online. Men who consume too much alcohol and recreational drug intake, diabetes and order cheap cialis high blood pressure issues. Social withdrawal, sloppiness purchase levitra online of dress and hygiene, and loss of stamina at the time of climax of intercourse can be cured by this Sildenafil citrate. She needed the world to acknowledge the brilliance of her children.br /br /And when, in junior high, I stopped performing the way she wanted me to, I was relegated to being the “less smart” sibling, the one who would have to rely on beauty rather than brains to make it in this world. The price of not living up to the label.br /br /It didn’t matter that my academic performance was affected by a home life many would cringe at. I was no longer quite as exceptional anymore.br /br /Time and age changes a lot, including my mother. She recently told me she has two smart daughters — and by God, I think she meant it.br /br /Last week, I found out my wonderful husband (WH) and I will be having a daughter of our own. We watched her developing brain on the ultrasound. I later asked my WH how he would feel if our daughter was average instead of a genius. He gave the perfect answer.br /br /”I want her to be happy, healthy and kind,” he said.br /br /Everything else is a bonus.br /br /br /span style=”font-size:85%;”Photo by a href=”http://flickr.com/photos/erwyn/” title=”Link to Erwyn van der Meer’s photostream”bErwyn van der Meer/b/a/span

This entry was posted in education, family. Bookmark the permalink.

4 Responses to Moving gifts

  1. LKM says:

    You have always been brilliant and you and WH will be brilliant parents. His answer only confirm that. Your daughter is very lucky.

  2. Rick says:

    It’s a fine line between trying to encourage our childredn to achieve instead of pushing them into things they don’t want to be. My parents considered putting me into gifted programs after my IQ scores and admission into Mensa, but I am so glad they didn’t. They let me grow up making my own educational choices and I am very glad of it. Mensa in general is big on encouraging the growth of gifted children’s programs, but I remember what my parents did for me by letting me make my own decisions. You seem like you’ve turned out well and I think your child will be very lucky indeed to have parents like you and your husband.

  3. J.K. Mahal says:

    Rick and L,BR/Thank you for the kind words and for visiting my blog. BR/BR/Jen

  4. Mary Castillo says:

    How did I miss this one? I need to get out more.BR/BR/Anyway, I think the DH’s response is wonderfully sweet. I’ve learned that when it comes to children, you get what you get. But you also get what you give; love them for who they are because the world will continually hammer that they’re less than. BR/BR/Love,BR/Mary

Comments are closed.