Satisfied

It is going to be a scorcher here today. Hip Hip Hooray! Nothing puts Olive to sleep faster than hot weather. That dog stretches out on the tile floor and is out like a light. That alone makes me love the hot weather.

We are busy finishing up the kid's Senior year. Last night we had the awards presentation for Speech and Debate. Two hours of blissful air-conditioning. The kid ROCKS at Speech and took home quite a few awards. I am super proud of him.

Tonight he is being honored at his charity. He has been working for the same charity for over 7 years and now sits on the board. They like him so much that they want him to open a branch in Chicago.

Today is his last day of work for his internship. He is super sad about that. He loves that job and the people he works with have treated him so wonderful. Last night he spent part of the evening writing thank you cards.

Having a kid is a lot like buying a car. When you start looking at cars, you see the basic bare-bones model. Then you start adding this, that and the other thing, so that before you know it you have the perfect car. A very EXPENSIVE perfect car. But a car.

Kids are like that too. When you get that baby, it is the bare-bones version. You love it and all, but it is really just nothing. It is waiting to be formed. You spend years and a whole lot of moola creating a person. Shaping and molding. Teaching. Enjoying. Crying. Screaming. Cursing. Laughing. Loving. But during this time you keep the photo in your mind of what you want in the finish product.

Someone who is caring and loving. Kind and smart. A hard worker but can also enjoy life. It is a constant struggle. Some days you gain ground but other days you back slide so fast you get a rug burn. You loosen the boundaries and then pull them tight again. It is a battle of wills, yours, theirs and the world. Who will win?

You hope you are doing a good job. You make mistakes. They make mistakes. You fight to hold your ground. They fight to increase their ground. It is on going. It is tiring and rewarding. Mostly tiring.

Then comes the day where the finished car rolls off the assemble line. You see it in all of its glory. You know what it was when you started and you are so amazed at the end result. That is how I feel now. That small wiggling newborn is now a full grown adult. He is off the assembly line. All done.

When I look at him, I am so filled with awe. I may have had something to do with the basic model and a few of the upgrades but the rest is all him. His hard work. So this week I watch as he reaps the rewards of High School.

I am happy.
I am content.
I am satisfied of a job well done.