Today my 10 yr old special needs son Lovey went with his 4th grade on a field trip to the capitol. We are 5 hrs from there. I originally planned to drive but we didnt have the gas money, then I planned to ride the bus as a chaperone but reality was I'd rather eat dirt than spend 10+ hrs on a bus with 4th graders. So I stretched my apron strings a bit and let him go. I had to drop him off at 5:15a.m. at school this morning and came home and cried and cried and cried. He was nervous to go without me...I KICKED myself for not sucking it up and going. So I came home, cried a bit, then I prayed. For the buses, their brakes, tires, wheels, mirrors. For the drivers, for them to be alert, for their vision their hearing (their sanity HA). For all the chaperones, each had about 4 charges to care for, for the kids themselves. And for my Lovey, special needs and all...its hard to loosen my grip on him. My biggest desire apart from my kids' salvation and lives for Christ is for them to be mature and productive adults. I know this is a building block in that, I know this field trip is more than an economic lesson in state government, its also a lesson in trust and maturity and sense of self. Oh not for him...FOR ME ;) No just kidding I know he'll do fine. And so will I.
Ps 56:3 -
When I am afraid, I will trust in you.
xoxo melzie
2 comments:
Melzie-
That was a very touching story. I don't know if you ever write things down for your kids later in life or scrapbook but this would definitely be something that I would at least want to journal about and let them see later in life. I think that is so sweet of you and letting him know your feelings and such. He may not appreciate it as much now but later in life when he is able to look back on all it did for you to let those apron strings go and let him be his own person. Good for you!
Also, I did the DNA testing and it's on my blog.
Melzie, as a former teacher, I died laughing when I read your note about eating dirt rather than spend 10 hours on a bus with 4th graders. Really, they usually aren't too bad. I've spent that long with 6th graders, taking them on a week long camping trip (and don't think that isn't fun), and they usually keep each other pretty busy - especially on the return trip when they are really tired. But I do get the concept. =)
I'll bet he was fine and everything went okay. Growth is so darned painful, especially for parents because we feel everything twice. Once for ourselves and once for our children.
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