Knowing Who She Is

Yesterday Skylar came home from school beaming!  She ran into the kitchen where I was standing, dropped the mail on the kitchen table, smiled and said, "I was voted Student of the Year!!!!"  HUH?  Student of the Year?  Is there even such a thing?  And then through her excited smile, "I've been dying to tell you alllll day, It's been killing me...I can't believe it, the teachers voted for me and tomorrow I have lunch and a party and I just can't believe it."

I can.

The theme this year for the Student of the Year is Acceptance.  Skylar is the queen of inclusion, acceptance, kindness and understanding that our differences are what make us amazing, and the teachers saw this in her.  She revels in the characteristics of the kids who are slower, she enjoys their company and she has inside jokes with them, celebrating them, being friends with them and including them.

Skylar is kind, she is caring and loving and, to this point in her life, has sometimes had a rough go of it because she isn't volleying to be the popular girl.  She isn't boy crazy and she isn't concerned with making others feel bad, as so many girls her age do.

I know who Skylar is, but for Skylar's sake, I am glad that she got this amazing recognition, to allow her to know that what she does, how she acts and who she is, is already paying off.  The people "in charge" notice how amazing she is, the people who can see the future, the people who can see through the insanity of 13 and 14 year old kids, can see Skylar for the young lady that she is.  

So today in 7th Period, Skylar gets to celebrate that out of five hundred 7th graders, she was chosen as the Student of the Year to represent the 125 kids that make up her "House."  She was chosen by all of her teachers as the most impressive, most accepting student, and that is so exciting.

Yesterday when she told me this news I couldn't help but be proud.  I couldn't help but feel that the conversations she and I have, the way I speak, the kindness I show, the mother I am, played SOME part in her strength.  Because Skylar is the strongest girl I know.

The greatest gift you can give your daughter or son, is the knowledge that if all else fails at school, with friends, with a test, with a boy, with a zit, with an outfit, with a teacher, on Facebook, that we, as parents are there for them.  If a child knows that when they walk in the front door of their home, they are safe, loved, cared for, have a confident, have an escape, have a relationship, they can get through.  I feel that knowing that this unconditional relationship exists, can save a child from losing themself, compromising themself and breaking down from the stresses of being a teen.  When you can be who you are without fear, who you are can flurish, and who we are is a beautiful thing without society changing us into who they want us to be.  Skylar knows who she is, and it is a beautiful thing.

It takes a strong person to include, accept, love, be true to oneself, be giddy, be modest, be fun, be excited, be different, be kind and know that when the day is done, it is good.  And of all the people I know, Skylar knows who she is.  Skylar knows where she is going.  Skylar knows what's important.  Skylar knows who's who and what true love is.  Skylar knows.

I get excited when things like Student of the Year happen because I know it is just the beginning for Skylar.  I know she is going to be the most amazing woman and it excites me to watch her grow and experience and blossom.  This life is for Skylar's taking, she is capable of all that the universe has to offer her and I so look forward to watching her meander through.

Congratulations Skylar, I'm glad that everyone is noticing how fantastic you are because,

You are...