Isn’t the moment where you see that your children have exceeded you in your talent or career so awesome?! We always want them, our children, to be better than us, smarter, more successful. We want to see them excel and exceed everything we hoped for them. I saw this recently.
I sat in a church meeting the other night and listened to an 18 year old young man sing at the opening of the meeting. I have always loved this particular young man’s voice. It is accurate and smooth but tender and vulnerable. His range is impressive, his falsetto pleasant and easily accessible. His song carries you along the melodic path effortlessly.
As I’m sitting there listening, my mind wanders to his dad, who is accompanying him from behind the piano. His dad is a vocal and piano master. He is superintendent of our school district (a very busy position) but took that job under the condition that he got to continue teaching the choir classes at the high school, simply because he cares that much about it. I wondered at the joy he must take in witnessing his son testify of his faith so gracefully through song. A proud daddy moment, I’m sure.
My daughter, Anja, has been all excited about a story that she is writing for one of her teachers at school. She had been telling me about it and wanting me to read, so I finally did. The story was so much fun. Her voice is clear and present in her writing, and it was packed with action and excitement. I was pleased with her writing and syntax and grammatical knowledge, but what really pushed my mommy pride over the top was the use of a word that I didn’t know. “What’s this mean?” I had to ask. I was thrilled to listen to her explanation of it. It made me SO happy and pleased.
My other daughter, Sidney, is running track this year. When she sets up on those blocks, my chest tightens slightly and my breathing gets focused and my head gets bobbing with some driven tune that brings me into the zone. It’s so intense that I almost forget that it’s not me on those blocks. Ha ha. And I have to tell myself to chill a little, that I’m just the mommy here to cheer her on. I love watching her run! Sprinting has always been my thing, but I’m certain that she has got me beat … and I love it! Good for her! Go get that Sidney!
Seeing my children surpass my own skills and move into something greater than me makes my heart swell with a love and gratitude that I don’t find anywhere else. It brings to my mind the song, What a Wonderful World:
“I hear babies cry.
I watch them grow.
They’ll learn much more than I’ll ever know.
And I think to myself,
What a wonderful world.”
What a wonderful world indeed!