2nd Semester Sophomore

Here we go. I took Elizabeth to school this morning, like I do every morning, to start day 2 of the spring semester, sophomore year in high school. I'm grateful for the chance to take her to school every day. There are thousands of soldier-fathers in Iraq and Afghanistan that didn't get that chance today. Anyway, school is a challenge for all of us. This morning I tried to impart my wisdom about study skills and was roundly rebuffed. Two words of advice if you're thinking about giving advice to a teenager. Don't do it (o.k, that's 3 words). So I bit my lip and remembered the words of captain Joe Maquire, US Navy SEAL warrior, from the book mentioned in my last posting (here in long form):

"First of all, I do not want you to give in to the pressure of the moment. Whenever you're hurting bad, just hang in there. Finish the day. Then, if you're' still feeling bad, think about it long and hard before you decide to quit. Second, take it one day at a time. One evolution at a time. Don't let your thoughts run away with you. Don't start planning to bail out because you're' worried about the future and how much you can take. Don't look ahead to the pain. Just get through the day and theres a wonderful career ahead of you."

This is excellent advice for all parents.

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Hawaii Cruise 08

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Life Notes in the Margin

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