Declamation

Remember back in 2012 when I started this whole blog and Ingrid was the Infamous Number 4 at the time?

Whether she was getting lost at the town beach or getting pissed that she had to go back to school

or doing a Spartan Race with a broken elbow

or catching critters outside…

she always kept things interesting.

This is just a reminder that those things that you think might just kill you when your kids are younger are gifts.

Your spirited, driven, determined, and out-of-control kids have so much potential pent up inside of them they don’t know what to do with it.

But if you let them, they will figure it out.

Fast forward ten years.

Ingrid’s school has a big spirit week in the last week of school before spring break.

The school is divided into two teams and they have a week of competitions – volleyball, basketball, dodgeball, a swim meet, etc.

The final competition of the week is “Declamation.”

I’d never even heard the word declamation before – it’s a form of public speaking – a performance of a piece (kids at Ingrid’s school had a time limit of 5-8 minutes) that can be something written by someone else or an original piece written by the “declaimer.”

Ingrid was chosen as one of the 5 declaimers for her team. I guess it’s a pretty big deal at her school and a big honor.

I was lucky enough to be able to go watch. She was incredible. Truly incredible.

Performing in front of your entire student body as well as most of the staff in a place like this could be pretty intimidating.

She didn’t falter one bit. She was so confident and calm and poised.

There is no way for me to accurately describe it – all I can say is she blew me away.

I know a lot of people hear the words boarding school and think “I could never send my kid away to school” or “what trouble did she get into to be sent away to school?” or “I guess she just doesn’t want to deal with her kid” or “how could someone do that to their child???”

I get it. I had those thoughts back when I knew absolutely nothing about private schools and schools like this one.

(for newer readers Ingrid learned about this school when she was in 6th grade and she was determined to go there and she got a full, 4-year scholarship, and she’s now almost done with her junior year)

Letting her go three years ago was not easy.

I am so thankful I didn’t rob her of this experience because I was too scared to let her leave.

I am so thankful I learned how to let go. I am so thankful I told her to push through the really really hard part that first week she was gone.

She reminds me every day of what is possible when you are determined.

Of what is possible when you dream big. Of what is possible when you stop doubting yourself and you just GO FOR IT.

Watching Ingrid at Declamation reminded ME to never stop dreaming big and never stop being myself.

I am so, so, SO proud of her. And I’m so happy for her. She is thiriving at school. She loves it so much.

She literally LOVES school.

What a gift these last three years have been.

Not just for her, but for all of us.

I’m in no rush for her to totally leave the nest.

But I am really excited to see where the future takes her.

Or more accurately, I’m really excited to see where she takes the future.