This week’s blog is brought to you by my dear friend and fellow writer, R.C. Barnes. We have been friends for a Very Long Time. I loved this piece she wrote recently and wanted to share it with you.

Yesterday, I dropped my oldest son off at his impressive apartment accommodations in Mountain View, so he would be ready to start his new job at Apple. The day felt monumental. Parents cherish the sight of seeing an excited child. Ordinarily, “buoyant” is not a word used to describe Deckard (not at 6’7”).

I had a buoyant son yesterday.

And with that, the memory of a parent/teacher conference nine years ago (almost exactly to this day) came rushing into my conscious along with the words “give him time.”

I’m not going to go into detail about the fights and challenges I had with the Los Angeles school system to ensure Deckard received an honest education–one that supported my child’s interests and not the interests of others. When Deckard was a senior in high school, there was a male teacher who spoke at his final assessment. This teacher shared something with me and added that this nugget became the informed approach with all the instructors at the school regarding my son. The teacher revealed he had learned to give Deckard time. The teacher learned to not rush him. He said, “Deckard understood everything I taught him, and I had to stop pushing him to show me. Give him time.”

We all know the fable about the tortoise and the hare, and the lesson instilled there. Today, when he entered Apple Park, Deckard crossed the finish line.

Robin Claire writes YA paranormal under the pen name R.C. Barnes. She currently has two titles in her Tattoo Teller series: Ink for the Beloved and Ink for the Damned. The series focuses on a teenager with a unique psychic ability linked to tattoos. You can find the books on Amazon, or you may order through your favorite bookstore. Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/R.C.-Barnes/e/B07XLVX435