Tipping the Scales

I have to brag on my teenage daughter for a moment. Darcy’s maturity continues to reveal itself in choices and decisions she makes that would perhaps be minor to an adult, but are challenging for a thirteen-year-old. She is very competitive and driven in both academics and sports (the perfect student athlete!), and I have long admired her ability to balance assignments, projects, practices and games. But what I really admire is her ability to look at her schedule and say, “Too much.” After all, isn’t an overbooked schedule one of the hallmarks of the teenage life? Yesterday Darcy made the difficult decision to give up volleyball, one of her favorite sports and a particular talent of hers, after taking an honest assessment of her upcoming freshman year and determining that playing three sports AND participating in marching/concert band AND maintaining her ranking at the top of her class, not to mention her heavy involvement in church and youth activities, would simply be “too much.” She could teach me a thing or two about saying “No.” I am so proud of you, Darcy-girl!