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Of Pride and Prejudice....

A friend left me a little note this morning congratulating Krysti and saying that I must be so proud of her. Well, you knOw I AM just as proud of Krysti as I could possibly be! She is an excellent student, strong minded and strong willed. She knows what she wants in life; she knows what she has to do to achieve it - and she's certainly not afraid of the hard work it will take to get there! She is a very determined young lady. In addition to that, she is a beautiful human being. She is kind and caring. She always tries to look at things from both sides of the story and is compassionate to others needs and feelings. In addition to all that, she also has a beeeeauuuutiful voice and sings around the house ALL the time. She is "spirited" and silly and FUN to be around! She has many many interests in life, and I'm fortunate in that she shares several of MINE! If Krysti were not my daughter, and just one of my students at school, she is one that I would STILL be proud of ... and a person that I would like.

Now... with all of that said... I have 3 other children. Three who are NOT Krysti's. And sometimes the three have "tried" me. SOMEtimes friends have shaken their heads and said "Melli, what are ya gonna do?" ... and I have said "I guess I'm gonna love 'em"... and that's what I do! (i will admit that on an occassion or two i have responded "I might just kill him!" ... but i never meant it!) So, let me tell you - I am PROUD of each of them! I hope that today you will let me tell you about my children and what each does to MAKE me proud! I've already done Krysti -- I'll do the rest from oldest to youngest so as to show NO preferential treatment! ;)

AMANDA ~ LOL! My first born! Did she NEED to do more than that? Probably not! But she has. Amanda is amazing! Amanda is THE most high spirited of my four. Her energy level is not only incredible -- it's contagious! When Amanda is on an "Amanda High" she just pulls you in to her energy and practically lifts you off the ground with it! She is a living, breathing, walking PARTY! She is very active and athletic and has always excelled in her chosen sports. She is ALSO a humanitarian and somewhat of an activist. She has a gift for "listening" and for offering up some pretty good advice. From the time she was a teenager, people have found Amanda to be a valuable analyst! While she was in the military (which made me very proud all on it's own) she volunteered in an orphanage over in Korea and did a lot of very beneficial work with the children there. In college she majored in Social Work, but has somehow NOT ended up in that area for her career, though at different times she has worked in her field. Amanda preferes to work with VERRRRY special needs children (severe abuse/neglect/druggies/ etc...) and "burn out" is a problem. She can go for a few years, but then needs a break! She always gets back to it though - and now, even though she works for Verizon, she is getting involved again through volunteer work. She has a "calling" and she has a very special talent (a "gift") for working with these children! Amanda has a heart of gold and will FOREVER have a "child's spirit"... and she makes me verrrrrry proud!

MATHEW ~ Mathew is an explorer! He explores the world, and he explores the mind! He is a free thinker. Mathew is NOT a student and never wanted to be! Mathew IS a philosopher. A Thinker. And a peace maker. He believes that all individuals should be allowed to "be free to be"... I found it funny that when he was in High School - at MY school - one of Mathew's philosophical proclomations in history class got dubbed "The Lantz Doctrine" ... The teacher still refers to it from time to time! Mathew has a hard time conforming to societies rules and expectations -- but he's coming around. I don't know if that's a good thing or not! I know it will make his life easier if he conforms... but at what cost? Mathew is a LOVER! He loves people, and animals, and music... and beer. LOL! And he LOVES his mama! He is very protective of me and will NOT allow anyone to hurt me. (including his brother!) Mathew is very opinionated - and not at all afraid to stand up for what he believes! He may be right, and he may be wrong, but he follows his heart and that makes me VERY proud! Mathew has a very quick wit, and an awesome sense of humor! He is also very "street smart"... very wiley... a great "finagler". He is also a very persuasive person! If you need someone convinced to do something, be something, feel something -- Mathew is your man! He is very compassionate and can not STAND to see anyone or anything "suffer". He and Amanda are very close -- have been since the day he was born! I think that at some point he will get involved in HER volunteer work - as a matter of fact, he's already expressed an interest in it -- and he could be very beneficial in that arena! Sometimes the best help a person can be given is the knowledge of how to "work the system" -- and Mathew definately knows how to do that! Mathew was never meant to make it in life off a "formal education" (though he does still plan to go to college!) -- but believe me -- Mathew is going to "make it" just fiiiine! And I'm VERRRRRY proud of him!!!

DEREK ~ This one is my baby! He's struggled with life's issues since his arrival in the world... and he will continue to struggle. Part of WHY he struggles is because he has such a strong sense of "fairness" ... even my brother noticed this when Derek was just a little LITTLE boy... George was playing catch with Mathew and Derek - and he threw the ball to Derek twice in a row. Derek stopped him and said, "No Uncle George. It's not MY turn - it's Mathew's turn!" Derek always wanted life to be "fair". Of coure we all know that life is NOT fair. And that is where most of Derek's problems stemmed from! Derek has some anger issues... but let me tell you - he has WORKED on them - he started seeing psychologists when he was only two! And he never saw them WILLINGLY - but still he listened to what they had to say - and he took their words home and rolled them over in his brain, again and again! Derek has come a very VERY long way - and I am VERY VERY proud of him for that! Derek - like Mathew - is NOT a student! He HATES school. (school is full of all sorts of rules that Derek believes to be UNfair ... and in many cases, he's right) Derek has an extremely high IQ - but doesn't really wish to be a "brain". Derek is a pacifist. He is a poet. He is a musician, and he is an artist. Derek has SO many talents -- and I often wonder if he will be forever "the struggling artist" ... or if life might treat him fairly this time, and he might have great success! Although, to Derek - just being allowed to make a living as an artist would BE great success! He's a very complex person - with very simple needs. I very much look forward to Derek graduating, because at that time he will be "set free" to live his life as he sees fit. And I'm really excited to see what he does! And yes... I'm verrrry proud of him!

The bottom line with kids, I think, is that we ARE proud of them - no matter what they do! If we've done our best to raise them right, they are going to take away SOMETHING good! And though they may go through some "rough spots" along the way, they will come out okay on the other side! I try really hard, when they are "trying" me to remember that I, too, went through MY times coming up -- but I turned out okay -- and they will too! (and sometimes they have to REMIND me of that! ... when they ARE trying me!) :)

What do your kids do that make you proud? C'mon... you knOw you wanna brag about them!

posted by Melli at 9:50 AM