| |
|
|
|
|
Dear Readers,
Parenting can be a tough job, but occasionally there
are some really big rewards. My husband and I just
returned from spending the weekend with our
daughter, Brittany, at Florida Technology Institute
where she is a sophomore. The weekend was a definite
REWARD, in more ways than one. We attended, while we
were there, a luncheon in which Brittany was awarded
several campus awards, most of which were given out
by student leaders and one significant award given
by the university faculty. We also attended the
formal induction of the sorority that Brittany
helped to found and of which she has been voted
president.
The luncheon was filled with influential people from
all over the country, including The Grand Argon
(president) of the sorority and the top officials of
the university. When it was time for Brittany’s
speech, she eloquently thanked everyone who had
worked so hard to bring the sorority to that special
day. Then she paused, swallowed a lump in her throat
and said; “Now I would really like to thank the two
people who brought me to this day. They are the
reason I am here and they taught me everything I
know, my parents, Doug and Brenda Hyde.”
Yes, you are right, I cried. Even my husband had
tears. And then Brittany teared up. I think everyone
in the room had tears in their eyes. It was an
overpowering moment. Here was a successful,
confident young woman with strong ties to her
family. What more could we ask for? We are so very
thankful to be her parents.
After the luncheon many people walked up to us to
introduce themselves and to tell us how much they
admired Brittany. They told us what a wonderful
young woman she is. Many said, “You should be so
proud of her.” We are. It is hard to put into words
how proud we are; she is just such a wonderful young
woman.
Being a parent has many parts. You are amazed at the
little being you create; you are proud of their
growth and wonder at their development. You stress
over the decisions you make and are humbled by the
responsibility. Then, you worry about how they will
survive in our complex world. From learning to walk
to learning to drive a car, you have so many
opportunities to be overwhelmed by the job of
parenting this person. And, after they are finally
out in the world on their own, you can look back in
wonder at it all. It really does pass quickly. One
minute they are toddler and then the next they are
their own person, making their own decisions and
creating their own world.
In the end, we have a great responsibility to do the
best we can for our children. Every new parent has
the desire to give the very best to his or her
child. We all start with a clean slate where we can
start the story that will be their life. What we put
into that story becomes a person. Brittany is a
person that her father and I are very proud of. She
has a wonderful story that is just beginning. I
can’t wait for the next chapter.
‘Til July, Happy Parenting!
Brenda |
|
|
