I had the opportunity to attend an award ceremony at my daughter's high school. It was an invitation-only event for those who would be award recipients; therefore, the whole senior class body was not invited. Upon arrival at the event, I noticed a decently packed auditorium filled with many parents, family, friends, and the guest of honors, future 2023 graduates. The program included many scholarship awards as well as department awards. When the individual received their certificate, the presenter would describe a breakdown of the person's accomplishments. The students had nothing short of impressive resumes. But it made me wonder, how do these students do anything else? For example, one young lady had over 1500 community volunteer hours. Another student received accolades for her near-perfect SAT score. One teen does advanced math for fun. Multivariable Calculus every morning, and he absolutely enjoys it. And those are just three of the many.
At some point during the ceremony, I turned to my sister and mentioned how crazy this was. When do these kids get to be kids? How do they remain "kids" with childlike wonder with so many activities and coursework on their plates? Our society has put so much pressure on our children to pursue more and more so they can remain competitive. They must push harder and do more to impress college admission officers. Although I'm amazed by their accomplishments and excited to hear how they will contribute to society, I question if they have time just to be kids. They will have the rest of their lives to be adults and have adult-like responsibilities. Like you, I would rather hear about these kinds of events than the ones you hear on the local news, but I'm hoping the kids don't get lost in their achievements and find the time to relax and be a kid. They put so much stress on themselves that you hear about the rising mental health issues these days; it's heartbreaking.
As one of the proud parents in the room, I am optimistic about our future and how the next generation will become the next world changers. Let's continue to pray for them as they make an impact.
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