Daily Prompt: We Can Be Taught!
Tell us a moment or an incident that you treasure – not necessarily because it brought you happiness, but because it taught you something about yourself.
This says it ALL!
I have spent the majority of my life in self-doubt. What can I say, not everyone is blessed with the ability to ooze confidence from every pore. I must have stepped out of line when it was being distributed.
This weakness was nourished in my house and reinforced throughout my school years. Let’s just say I could totally relate to Jan Brady … Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! So there I was, without an ounce of effort, neatly placed in the shadow of my older sibling. I was cool and comfortable with no reason to face the heat.
When I look back, I realize that I did step out into the light on more than one occasion, but didn’t even take a minute to put on my sunglasses. I chose to squint and hurry back to that shady spot.
Over the years, I had the pleasure of being in the presence of some very good people, who 
little by little enforced my confidence, but none more so than my children. They allowed me to see the sun when that’s all I was able to see were the clouds. Hey, they thought I was the greatest thing since sliced bread because I knew how to tie my own shoes!
But unfortunately there were also those who just loved to remind me of my weaknesses, especially myself, which left me overvaluing my lack of confidence and undervaluing my badassness, until one day when I was suddenly forced to unleash all of me on the world. An emotional Tsunami if you will.
I was faced with fighting a battle on behalf of my daughter, after quietly being told by the school psychologist (we will be using that term very lightly) “Mrs. G. your daughter will NEVER go to college.”
Her educational future was as stake and no one was going to take that away….willingly. My daughter believed I could do anything and lord knows I wasn’t going to let her down. Have no fear…Underdog a/k/a Mom is here!
Although I gave myself permission to spend a good amount of time silently sitting in the shadows, no one was going to force my daughter to do the same…she deserved the opportunity to shine and someone else’s low standards of her abilities were not going to stand in her way. Do not Ef with my cubs!
So there it was, bigger than life…the LESSON. Up until this point I spent my life believing that being the underdog was a FAULT and all along it was a GIFT. Never underestimate the quiet one sitting in the shadow, our sparkle is contagious.
Indeed it does Mr. Mandela, indeed it does.
I will always treasure that time in my life, not because of winning the battle although it felt pretty good, but because of the look on my daughter’s face when we went on our first college tour. Priceless!
We were walking on the campus of Lebanon Valley College, on a sunny freezing cold day, when she just stopped in the quad and said “Mom, I can really see myself here.” There it was, smack in my face, my daughter was shining in her own light. I just put my shades on and thought damn straight you can…Why the Hell Not!
I am proud to say that this Fall she will be entering her junior year … still shining strong.
Never let anyone dull your sparkle … Enjoy the Ride!
Life With The Top Down 
You ARE a bad ass.
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Good job! And SHAME on that school psychologist! Nobody should ever be told they can’t go to college! I’m glad you won your battle!
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Thank you!
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Go Lisa! And your daughter 🙂
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This post is so inspirational! You have not only acquired confidence for yourself, but then for your daughter, and tipping the scales a little bit more in the favor of some of us in the blog-us-fear. Thanks!
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Awesome just awesome – your daughter and you. “Nobody puts Baby in the corner”…<3
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Hahahaha! That really made me laugh!
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Why would anyone say that about a child. Let the child believe and they will work for what they want to do! Good for you and your daughter! (Can we all go NA NA NA NA NA! to the counselor?)
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You ROCK, Tops!!!!
I’ the youngest of five, the third girl. I would never be who I am today if I had lived my life near my sisters. I love both of them dearly (and miss them terribly since they have both passed away. But I pity younger siblings who, because of proximity, remain in the shadows.
You really do rock.
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Great story. Good for you standing up for your daughter and by doing so, standing up for your daughter. I hope you daughter continues along her college journey and will still shine strong
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Thank you…me too!
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You are welcome.
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Beautiful…Keep Shining! 🙂
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Thank you.
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[…] Why The Hell Not! | Life With The Top Down […]
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Don’t even get me started on sisters…I have a plethora of them! They are the first ones we interact with though so they can set the tone for what is to come. I love that your experience with yours made you a fighting, feisty Momma bear and that you were able to save your daughter from those nay sayers.
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You are a badass rock star mama bear! And Emily is shining, I can see it in her eyes in every picture! 🙂
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Why thank you Jennifer. Takes one to know one!
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Cool story. You and your daughter are bad ass. Sounds like you are a great mom and raised her right. No one should be placed in the background, and tell them they can’t go to college. Hope she kicks ass there!
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Thank you. I can’t believe the woman still has a job…ugh!
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This so made me cry…a good cry.
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Awww, hope you felt better afterward. I’m loving my new Why The Hell Not attitude..thanks to you.
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Yeah…it was one of those…I’m a new woman…after I cried me a river…:why the hell not…always love your writing.
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[…] Why The Hell Not! | Life With The Top Down […]
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Thank you!
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That was pure awesomeness … because NOBODY puts baby in a corner 🙂
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[…] Why The Hell Not! | Life With The Top Down […]
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Go, Lisa! Good for you for not transferring your insecurities to your daughter. I have many of them myself, but I, too, tried to make sure my children didn’t “inherit” them. I am so excited about what you and your daughter have accomplished!
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Good for you for helping your daughter know she could be everything she might want to be without limitations!
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