Barriers Beware

In the life of a high school counselor, time becomes a luxury as the end of the school year approaches. Tonight was Honor's Night at my work and I have the pleasure being the Honor's Night Coordinator. I'm exhausted. Somehow I managed to keep the program less than two hours even though this year more student names were added to the program. That's talent my friends.
Yet I'm not here to sing the praises of myself or the fabulous students with whom I work (although they totally deserve their praises to be shouted from a rooftop!). Because while I was there ever so proud for the lovely soon to be graduates, I was also thinking about Eslea. I know. It seems like such an odd time but it just popped into my head. The thought of Eslea in high school.
Will Eslea be invited to honors night?
Will she ever know the pleasure of being recognized for her academic achievements?
I never have these thoughts about Emma. My assumption is that Emma will graduate with honors, she will go to college, she WILL one day be the " PETerinarian" she dreams of becoming.

What about Eslea? I'm not so sure but I've said it before ...I will not be the one to set limits for her.

Yet how do we manage this? The fine line between pushing our kids to aim high while at the same time knowing there are goals that may not be possible for them? I know that this is true for all kids each with their own individual talents and skills. But with Eslea, it’s different. My worry is related more to the things that seem to come naturally for others; those life goals that just seem a given…graduating from high school, going to college, finding a successful career, marriage, having children. (That last one hurts the most.) How do you look such a sweet child in her face and tell her that she CAN NOT do one of those things? I won't do it. I just won't.

Most days I just enjoy HER. Her laughter. Her smile. Her sweet baby smell. Her enjoyment in yelling dadadadada at the top of her lungs. But some days, like today, I am reminded of what barriers may be placed before us in the future. I so desperately want to make those barriers disappear, yet there they are, waiting ever so still. Daring us to approach them and anticipating our response. So although I can not make the barriers move, for they are stubborn things, I will do whatever I can to help Eslea learn to conquer them when they cross her path. However she has to get past them, clawing, kicking, climbing, jumping or knocking them down. I’ll do my best to make sure she is ready.



It’s going to be a good week. Lots of training to do because those barriers are getting closer even if I stand still. We are starting with learning to crawl. Hey, sounds like a good fighting tool to me. Barriers Beware!

-erin