This son of mine...
It is 4 am I cannot sleep
thinking of this son of mine.
"He is so friendly" the other Mom's
tell me of my son out and around town.
"He speaks to me and it is from the heart."
I smile inside and out
so proud of this son of mine.
He is incredibly talented,
this son of mine and when he
puts his mind to something
there is no stopping him.
Researching the latest technology
in equipment, starting up his own business
he is resourceful, invested, inventive, artistic...
he amazes me, this son of mine.
"He is lazy" they tell me
of this son of mine.
and I cringe thinking they
do not know him.
"Academics are not his interest" they say.
Judging him without taking
any shared responsibility.
What they don't see is the brilliance
in this son of mine.
In fact, I am not sure they see him
at all.
It is a system, broken, that seems
to take down everyone in it's wake.
One who is this son of mine.
and as a mother my heart breaks
knowing that there is little I can do
to save this son of mine, part of
a sinking ship, untouchable, very far
out to sea
"We are losing him." they tell her
of this son of hers.
"I know and that is why I am here..."
"Have you considered private schools?"
they ask her.
Their only solution for yet another
brilliant son of hers.
She has five children she has been
in for meetings all year long
She asks me...
What else can she do
with this son of hers?
And so I too will go in for yet
another meeting around the big table
where they
will share more choice cliches about
this son of mine
and I will again defend this son
of mine for who he is.
An amazing mind that finds work
takes on challenges
creates projects
and is engaged in thinking
everywhere in the world, except within
the four walls of school
Comic tragedy
this son of mine
These sons of ours
will be successful
because they have figured things
out that took me years.
They do not buy into working solely for a grade
Without purpose they are not
motivated to do any more than what
is necessary to
get
by.
And get by they will
these sons of ours...
But still it keeps me up
at night, imagining a system
that would embrace these boys
and work with them to use their
minds
and be done with simply
biding their time
biding his time
a year at a time
a year at a time
a year at a time
a year at a time
this son of mine.
5 comments:
I am speechless. Beautiful, magical, so real. My heart breaks, but I am buoyed by your words and love. Now I want to write one for my daughter.
You are the best, TC.
I'm in. Sign me up for the group "This son of mine". I love it. Just found out Henry was accepted to Landmark next year. Can't get him out of the public school crisis fast enough. Beatifully done. As a matter of fact, I am going to "share" it, if you don't mind.
Love, B
Wow T. Thanks for sharing. I am going into demonstration teaching this fall and HOPE that no one falls through the crack in my classroom. Purpose is what it is all about, not the grade. Love you. Katie
I am constantly working to change the system from within... it is a tireless and often frustrating challenge. So many of us know your sons - really know them - and admire them just as you do.
"I'm not Molly!" This son of mine tells me. I try to reassure him that I'm not comparing him to his sister but he is just as intelligent, if not more, than she is. She just APPLIES herself more. He's correct. I AM comparing them. I didn't mean to but I did. He sits through her National Honor Society speech and watches from the back row as friends, peers, a cousin, get inducted into this prestigious group of scholars. He tweets about being reminded of his "mediocrity." Days later, he receives a text, "Hey, did you finish that map for class? Can I "see" it tomorrow?" He responds, "NO!" He tells me how even after double sessions of soccer and band he still found time to do his own work. He doesn't have time to do work for anyone else. Then he points out the glaring irony of the fact that this peer was one of the inductees to the National HONOR Society!
THANK YOU TOMASEN! I think I'll go have a chat with this son of mine whom I'm VERY proud of!
Miss you - Kerrie
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