Summer break was right around the corner, it was so close that I could feel the heat on the heels of my feet. Summer starts for me in April. By that I mean, it’s already so hot to me that I am feeling like its summer in the middle of spring. We had our family meeting and the topic was what will you spend your summer doing. I’d already made an announcement three months prior to the end of the school year, letting my family know that everyone had to have a summer activity or I would pick an activity for them.
My daughter was and is already taking up coding, skateboarding, and an occasional neighborhood library reading challenge. I thought that we should tighten up on some of the activities she was already particpating in but I knew she would want to try something different so I was prepared to be frazzled. My tween decided to go to guitar camp. Can you believe it, I was actually going to be able to use the phrase “my kids in a band”.
Two years ago it was the Djembe drum. The Djembe drum is a small west african drum played in ceremonies. The drum makes beautiful sounds with a flick of the wrist or hitting the drum in a certain way. This summer she moved on to the guitar. The wants of a tween are forever changing but as a mother its my job to help her explore every avenue she possibly can. If you’ve ever thought of entering the mind of a 12 year-old, I would caution you to think twice before venturing down this long uncertain winding road. Let me tell you, my experience is lengthy as a mother of 2 beautiful young ladies but I’m still learning. It’s not easy following their logic, dreams or what they deem to be dramatic situations, but I have always considered it to be an honor to be apart of their journey.
In regards to taking up guitar, we had a choice of private one on one lessons or Guitar Camp where she would be amongst her peers and not feel singled out for every mistake made while strumming along to Work by Rhiana or Jealous by Nick Jonas. We choose Guitar Camp because by the end of the camp she will have made a friend or two, become more confident than she already is and will have actually played in “The” band. Either way by taking part in the camp she would be able to decide if playing the guitar would become a life long hobby or that Jimmy Hendricks couldn’t have possibly been her grandfather.
Summer has come and gone. I was dupped into buying a beautiful mahogany guitar, the stand and carrier. My tween has gone from guitar camp mania to I’ll practice tomorrow. Will tomorrow ever come? To be honest, I am proud of her accomplishment this summer, she tried something new and actually liked it. We got to see two great concerts and my baby is in a band!
It’s now time to have a family meeting and decide what the kiddos will be doing this school year. I am now attending FFA (Future Farmers of America) meetings and helping to get our Shih Tzu ready for the State Fair in February. I will continue to support my tween in all of her endeavours while making sure to drink my vegetable smoothy to gain enough energy to keep up. I will continue to check out our local libraries, parks and recreation centers for our next adventure. I am prepared to help my children make learning and exploring fun!
Lynn Dowdell 