Beech Tree News Network

My friend, Renee, stopped by our house yesterday.  She brought the son of a friend to talk to my daughter, Nikki, who was visiting from New Orleans.  The boy is a senior in high school.  He is interested in studying marine biology in college.  Renee knew that Nikki is a marine biologist and contacted us about bringing the boy by to ask Nikki some questions.  Nikki said she would be happy to help.

Nikki and the boy talked in the dining room, while Renee and I sat in the kitchen.  I retired in September, and I told Renee that I spent a large part of weekdays making sure my granddaughter, Sabria, stays on task with her online and virtual class work.  Sabria is an intelligent little girl, not brilliant, but intelligent enough.  The challenge is to keep her from getting distracted.  

Listening to Nikki today, you would be hard pressed to believe she was an easily distracted little girl, but she was.  I had to stay on top of things with her, as well.  I spent years making sure she had her homework and searching the house for her shoes, jacket and lunch box for each school day.  I did those things because I believed in her and what I saw inside her.  I feel the same way about Sabria.

I have noticed, there are times in life when you just have to keep doing the next right thing without the assurance that what you are doing is going to produce satisfactory results, or sometimes, any results.

Last week, Sabria became so overwhelmed with all the online work that she broke down.  It was awful.  She cried then I cried for her, and we both had to take a break, go outside and walk down the road by her house.  This is such a hard time for kids, and I feel so bad for all of them.  The teachers are stressed, the parents are stressed and the kids are stressed; we have no idea what the outcome of all this isolation and stress is going to be, but we can’t just fold our hands in our lap and say “whatever.”  

We have to keep trying, not only for ourselves, but for one another.  We have to be like Renee, and say, “I know somebody who can answer your questions.  Let me make arrangements for you to meet her.”  We have to ask, “Do you need help with your homework?” or “Do you need a ride to your after-school job?” or “Can I help you fill out your FAFSA form?”  You never know what one little thing will do for one little kid or one big kid, for that matter.

One of the things Nikki told the young man was not to be discouraged by people who would tell him that he couldn’t get a job in the field of marine biology or that he would never make enough money to live on.  She told him that every friend she graduated with has a job in the field of marine biology, and they are all making a good living doing what they love.  She added that the only reason for giving up on the degree or a career in that field would be if you found yourself no longer passionate for what you were doing.  (How did Garey and I have a kid that smart?  Must be the blind hog/acorn thing.)

Nikki learned the things she passed on to that young man about jobs and money, because somebody tried to discourage her with their comments.  Nikki kept going, because she didn’t listen to them.  She listened to people who believed in her, and who told her to keep going because you never know what’s at the end of it until you get to the end of it.  

It’s going to be the same with us and this pandemic.  We’re not going to know what’s at the end of it until we get to the end of it.  We just need to make sure we help as many people get there as we can.