Babies No More

No matter how old my three children are I still see them little kids in my memory's eye! The fact of the matter is that they have grown into wonderful adults unfurling their wings and following their own passions as they make their way in the world. Not only have they grown, but so have Joel, my husband, and I as we now sit back and offer advice when it is sought out (and maybe even when it is not!). We have been very fortunate that all three of our children are fiercely independent and serious about their fields of study and their careers.

Our oldest child, Christina, just shared that she was accepted into an MBA program! She starts in November. She graduated from Belmont University in 2020 with a Business Degree with an emphasis in Music Business. It wasn't easy as she worked a job or two at times while going to school. Before graduation she worked for Chase Bank for a year before she was hired by Apple to serve on a business team. All this done about 1,500 miles away from us in Nashville, TN. I am so proud of her hard-working, disciplined nature. Ever since she was a little girl, she was a take- charge kind of girl and she has never let up.

Our middle child, Christopher, found his passion early on in life and began apprenticing at a hair salon at the age of 15. He attended the Aveda Institute to study Cosmetology and finished his training hours online at home during the pandemic. He has been practicing his trade for several years and has gained some wonderful clients who love his work as do I as I am one of his clients! He took a huge adult step and moved out to an apartment he shared with a school friend almost a year ago. Now he is making another career move and is relocating to Bastrop to work independently at a beautiful salon there called Lumiere House. It is amazing witnessing him setting up his business and sharing his excitement as he moves forward. I am proud of his determination to be an independent entrepreneur.

Our third child, Pedro, just graduated from high school and has been working at a photo center meeting all kinds of photographers here in San Antonio. He has had great experiences in the last year. Most recently, he was offered his first freelance assignment as a photojournalist. Unfortunately, he had to cover a hard story—the beginning of school in Uvalde, Texas. He did a great job, and a few of his photos were used in a news article in North Texas. He has the goal of being a photojournalist capturing stories through his lens. It is impressive that at a young age he is so focused on that goal.

As a parent it is fulfilling watching all three of them do their thing following their chosen paths to make their mark in the world. What Joel and I have learned is that we cannot force them to follow the paths we think they should follow. I suppose our parents did a great job modeling for us as we were at the same point as are our kids are at (once upon at a time!). Of course, we didn't know they were modeling then. Joel and I have also learned to provide unconditional love and support as our babies continue to evolve in front of our eyes. We are truly blessed.