Growing and changing

Hooray for the end of the week! Got the 4:43 wakeup call Wednesday, then another yesterday. No call this morning but I woke up at 4:41 anyway, lying there and smelling the skunk that has taken up residence in our neighborhood, hoping it isn't under the front porch waiting to greet me. Finally got back to sleep about ten minutes before the alarm went off. Bother; no wonder I feel like my mind is running about seven minutes behind the rest of me.

By rights, Hannah is the one who should be exhausted: in fact, this morning the whiteboard on her door reads "Up at 10:35." Not 10:30 or quarter to eleven — 10:35. The past week has been a musical marathon for her: last Thursday, playing for the Piano Guild judging audition; Friday, accompanying the school's general and select choirs for the Spring concert; Saturday, accompanying the choirs again at the Darien Lake competition; Sunday, accompanying the school's touring ensemble at my parent's church; accompanying choir practice on Monday; piano lesson on Tuesday; playing for chapel at school Wednesday morning. And this, on top of the usual homework and the first part of her Regents examination for Spanish. She is generally up before my alarm goes off, and still going after I'm ready to turn in for the night. The wonder is not so much that she does all this, but that she can do it so well.

This was affirmed Wednesday afternoon as she, with five other sophomores and a handful of juniors and seniors, was inducted into the National Honor Society.



One of the speakers described the attributes which are considered in selecting inductees, making the observation that while each student has compiled an exemplary academic record, it is often by dint of consistent hard work, not through effortless ability. I could have launched out of my seat and hollered "Amen!" to that, but I didn't want to make Hannah drop her candle and give me the look.

It is a marvelous thing to watch character and maturity develop -- particularly in areas where I struggled at that age. But I am not impartial, so it's all the better when this is recognized by others more objective than myself. Our little girl is growing up.

All right, who took my box of Kleenex?