Natalie and Meredith got their report cards earlier this week. The purpose of this blog entry is not to brag, but in the process of writing what I'm going to write about I WILL end up bragging anyway:
The girls did fantastic.
They both had straight A's. In fact, they practically both had straight A+'s. And they received the results of their state and national tests as well, and they both did outstanding on them as well.
I never really thought much of the girls' report cards when they were in early elementary school. True, they always got the grade of "IN," which was the highest grade given (It stands for "independent"), but I always assumed that EVERY kid in school was getting mostly IN's, the result of the Lake Wobegon Effect.
But as the kids are getting older and they are STILL getting the highest marks, and as their state and national percentiles are putting them almost always in the 95th percentile or better, I'm starting to realize that this is not simply the Lake Wobegon Effect--my kids are scholastically pretty special.
I was telling my parents about their report cards last night (I am in Frankfort today at a KySTE sponsored technology training, and I spent the night last night with Mom and Dad) and it occurred to me that my kids and their grades are just one of the ways that I am unusually blessed in my life.
I don't deserve the good things in my life. Heck, I guess no one DESERVES anything. But I've been alive now long enough to see lots of people struggle with lots of things, but I have great kids who are healthy, smart, and beautiful, a similarly beautiful wife whom I love and who gets along with me most of the time, a job I love to do, a nice home, good health myself, and enough security that I don't lay awake in bed wondering how to pay for groceries. It's a good life.
I've heard it said before that God will not give us any trials that we aren't able to overcome. If that's true, then I must be a spiritual midget! God must not think I can handle ANYTHING because he hasn't given me any real trials to overcome.
Not that I'm complaining. I suppose the point of this blog entry is just to express my gratitude for the life I've lived so far. I feel truly blessed.
Funny what a report card will teach you.
The girls did fantastic.
They both had straight A's. In fact, they practically both had straight A+'s. And they received the results of their state and national tests as well, and they both did outstanding on them as well.
I never really thought much of the girls' report cards when they were in early elementary school. True, they always got the grade of "IN," which was the highest grade given (It stands for "independent"), but I always assumed that EVERY kid in school was getting mostly IN's, the result of the Lake Wobegon Effect.
But as the kids are getting older and they are STILL getting the highest marks, and as their state and national percentiles are putting them almost always in the 95th percentile or better, I'm starting to realize that this is not simply the Lake Wobegon Effect--my kids are scholastically pretty special.
I was telling my parents about their report cards last night (I am in Frankfort today at a KySTE sponsored technology training, and I spent the night last night with Mom and Dad) and it occurred to me that my kids and their grades are just one of the ways that I am unusually blessed in my life.
I don't deserve the good things in my life. Heck, I guess no one DESERVES anything. But I've been alive now long enough to see lots of people struggle with lots of things, but I have great kids who are healthy, smart, and beautiful, a similarly beautiful wife whom I love and who gets along with me most of the time, a job I love to do, a nice home, good health myself, and enough security that I don't lay awake in bed wondering how to pay for groceries. It's a good life.
I've heard it said before that God will not give us any trials that we aren't able to overcome. If that's true, then I must be a spiritual midget! God must not think I can handle ANYTHING because he hasn't given me any real trials to overcome.
Not that I'm complaining. I suppose the point of this blog entry is just to express my gratitude for the life I've lived so far. I feel truly blessed.
Funny what a report card will teach you.
2 comments:
These grades are just a visual measurement of the effort that you and Lisa have put into raising these children with love and standards that will apply far into the future. BTW I brag about them all the time!
Glad to hear you brag about them, but I have to disagree a bit: I don't think that grades are always just a result of the parents' efforts. After all, my parents worked hard to see that I was a good kid, and my, oh my, how I let them down!
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