How did this happen? It seems like
just yesterday my little girl was just that—a little girl! Now, she’s seventeen
and less than eight months away from graduating from high school. The years
race by in my brain like they happened yesterday.
Preschool—the first day, my clever
daughter erroneously told her teacher, “My mom said I can do whatever I want.”
Little did she know that her mom had known
that same teacher since long before she was even born.
Kindergarten—Kalina learned to read
and was so excited about both the words she could decode and words that she
made up, which became entertaining parts of her vocabulary like “mushoo” and
“yankety-yanks.”
First grade - Kalina’s artistic
ability began to emerge. She took her time on art projects, choosing just the
right amounts of each color. Watercolor seemed to be her favorite medium.
Second grade – we got her hair cut
short; she was simply adorable. Friendships began to blossom, as she wanted to
spend more time with friends outside of school. She loved the snow that year,
and she excelled in both math and writing.
In third grade, Kalina got a pet
turtle and would occasionally allow the presence of little braids in her hair,
much to her mother’s delight. It was also the year she really fell in love with
the water.
In fourth grade, most of Kalina’s
classmates were boys. Being a spunky sort by nature, she rose to the challenge
of competing with them in games, as well as academics. They saw her as “one of
the guys.”
In fifth grade Kalina had virtually
the same mix of classmates but halfway through the year had to adjust to the
unusual circumstance of her mom becoming
her teacher. Though the dynamics were uncomfortable for her, she finished the
year strong (with a few visits to the office).
With Kalina’s elementary school not
having enough students to offer a sixth grade class, we pursued finding another
Christian school for her to attend. She and her best friend, Christopher, ended
up attending Western Mennonite School together for the next two years. Sixth
grade was an awesome year. Kalina made a name for herself on campus, being well
liked by her teachers and keeping her classmates in stitches with her inescapable
humor and boisterousness. Seventh grade brought the first real doses of drama
into Kalina’s life, but she survived. She also learned that she enjoyed
softball.
Eighth grade was Kalina’s first
year in public school. She loved her art teacher, Mrs. Rhinehart, and art
became her passion, ending the year with the award for Outstanding Art Student.
For some kids, high school might
have seemed scary, especially knowing that it was a much bigger school. But
Kalina seemed to see it as a natural progression, requiring no special trepidation.
Ninth grade was a quiet year and one in which Kalina didn’t venture into many
new things. She did what was required but not much more. That year was many
things—in her words--“Shocking, difficult, new, fun, terrible.”
Sophomore year was calmer, and
Kalina seemed to settle into a healthier, more confident routine. Kalina
ventured out a bit more with friendships and put more effort into school. She
also put more effort into her relationship with the Lord. She got to go on a
missions trip to Haiti that summer, as well as be in a wedding for the first
time—as the maid of honor! The trip to Haiti opened Kalina’s eyes and heart
wider than they ever had been before. And her sister moving out brought huge
adjustment into her life as well.
Junior year Kalina really buckled down and pulled a 4.0 all
year, even with Honors and AP classes. It was a year in which she matured
greatly and learned a lot about relationships. A bit of a roller-coaster ride.
And here we are—senior year. Hours
spent doing incessant homework, plans being made, preparations of the heart for
reaching that bend in the road from which there is no turning back—graduation.
Not only does one graduate from high school but essentially to adulthood. It is an unprecedented
crossroads that must be handled with as much wisdom and careful thought as
possible—and lots of prayer. It’s where a mom starts to feel she is losing her
child and that the child is emerging from a well-spun cocoon to embark on the
world. It is, in many ways, where true freedom begins—and where the rubber
meets the road. I have every confidence that Kalina will make good choices, be
brave, and embrace the right opportunities—that she will further her education
and learn about the broader world around her.
I will be there, ready to listen
and offer help in the course of what is sure to be an adventure—while trying my
best to remember that it’s her adventure.
That’s the beauty of growing up. In the words of Helen Keller, “Life is either
a daring adventure, or nothing.”
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