Speaking of awards....

My previous post shows Daniel with his recently acquired prize ribbon. He added it to his collection of medals. It seems that these days, contests give medals, not trophies. It's probably good because medals are small. Someday, Daniel is gonna be in his forties and he'll discover those medals and try to remember what they are for. I speak from experience.

In cleaning out the last corner of the basement for the electrician, we ran across a big box full of trophies from my youth. Not one was for something athletic, but there were some groovy ones for spelling bees, speech contests, and essay contests. It spoke to my nerdiness. The kids were pretty entertained as we pulled them out and discussed them. Most of them still have plaques on them explaining the award. One, however, was devoid of a plaque. Dale told the kids it was because I was good at making wreaths. If that's true, apparently I was good at making wreaths in a loincloth. Nonetheless, Cheyenne thinks I'm cool 'cause couple of days later, she commented on my wreath-making talents!

So, for days I stared at that box of trophies trying to decide what to do with them. I finally decided to take some pictures then get rid of them. I took the pictures, but haven't gotten rid of them yet. Somehow I can't let go. I don't want the trophies -- I want someone to use them for Girls' Camp awards or some silly thing so someone else feels good for a moment. I think for me, they were a reminder that at one point in my life (albeit a prepubescent point), I knew something and I got something right. That was long before I became a mother of a preteen who can attest that I currently know nothing. Maybe those trophies will give me hope that someday soon I can reinvigorate those brain cells and know something again.

I still don't think I'll keep the trophies (although you can let me know if you need them for Girls Camp), but I'll keep the pictures. And maybe I will keep this one gold cup. This is the first real trophy I ever received and it's still the coolest. Dale took this picture as if I were still a young girl at my proudest moment. That's a moment I still remember, though I hope it doesn't still qualify as my proudest. I never made it to the National Spelling Bee (a thorn that still sticks in my side sometimes), but I think those early triumphs did in some way inspire me to keep trying the next thing. Maybe I'll find a place to put it next to the medal Cathy and I got for the fastest times "in the 40-45 year old female bracket" of a 5K race a couple of years ago. Then that one can inspire me to keep trying to win the elusive trophy for "best mom ever to Daniel and Cheyenne." I can only hope it'll be a sculpture of them (with clothes on) holding wreaths up!!