Syd

This girl was elected today as the president of the student council for her junior high school.

Syd is kind and conscientious, considerate and careful. She is enrolled in all honors classes. Her teachers are fond of her.

She's blessed with a lithe frame and good looks. Her smile will melt your heart.

She is a high-achieving kid with tremendous leadership qualities.

I adore her.

And now she's been elected by her peers as the president of the student body.

I try to stay relatively disengaged from my kids' accomplishments and failures. I am proud of them, for sure. I encourage them. I do the best that I can as their mother. I am devoted to their well-being and do everything I can to meet their needs - but I never want to submit to the lure of assigning myself value according to how well my children perform in their world. I heard a message in church some years ago that suggested that the worst a parent can do is base their success as parents (or as people) on the achievements of their children.

But today, for just a minute, I allowed myself this thought:

"I must be doing something right."

And it felt good.

Now back to your regulary scheduled program.