Intertribal Life Newspaper -

In less than a month our baby boy will be 18, and then in another three months, he will be graduated from high school and off to a polytechnic school in Calgary, Alb. It's hard to believe he was a delicate four pounds when he was born. I was discharged from the hospital before he was. Leaving him there while I went home was the hardest thing I had ever done in my life at that stage.

His tiny foot was smaller than my pointer finger. I remember taking a picture of his first little shoes beside his dad's size 12 shoes and commenting on how big those shoes would be for him to fill. He only has two more sizes to go now-watch out Todd!

The first time I dropped him off at kindergarten I was sure my heart was going to break. He was happy to be going, but anxious to leave his mom and dad behind. In true mom style, I smiled and didn't let my anguish show. I knew it was good for him to go to school. Truth be told, I'm glad he walked in by himself. If I had to take him inside and leave him there, I'm sure I would have turned around and walked straight home with him, giving him what he wanted but not what he needed.

Three years later we decided to continue his schooling at home. If I were to write of our home-schooling journey it would be filled with tremendously high peaks and just as tremendously low valleys. The stories would take more room than is available in this paper.

Okay, one story. We were doing an art assignment working with different mediums. I thought it would be neat to use gunpowder to burn a design into the paper, in our house, at the kitchen table, with low hanging chiffon drapes above. You see where this is going right? Now I obviously didn't think this through because I didn't notice the fire hazard the chiffon presented until the flames were fascinatingly burning uniquely created designs into the paper and wicking their way higher and higher. Closer and closer.

In one giant leap for the saving of our home, I jumped onto the chair, snatched away the chiffon and thought how dumb it was to light gunpowder on fire in my home! It's a precious memory that we all laugh about now. "Remember when you almost caught the house on fire, Mom?"

I'm glad I chose the heartbreaking way, and let him stay at the hospital when I had to leave. It was the best place for him to be considering the care he needed. I'm glad I chose to watch him walk into kindergarten that morning, and I'm glad we followed the Lord's leading and started homeschooling when we did. I'm glad for the peaks and valleys. And yes, I'm equally glad we almost caught the house on fire (it really is a fun memory).

I'm even more glad, however, that we have given him the freedom to not fit into his daddy's shoes, but rather, wear his own. He is a unique young man, with his own abilities, gifts, talents and desires. Dad was a banker before he joined Indian Life as Director. Our son wants to become a motorcycle mechanic. He has no experience, but is passionate about riding and wants to make a career out of it. I love the courage and character it takes to try something different.

You too, are a unique individual with God-given abilities, gifts, talents and desires. What are you passionate about? What gets you excited when you talk about it? What have you wanted to try but haven't yet? What burns in your belly when you think or hear about it? I encourage you to follow the unique path our Creator designed for you. You may feel like a four-pound infant with big shoes to fill, but as you grow and mature, you will find that you have your own shoes-and they fit perfectly.

There is enough room in this world for everyone's unique gifts and talents.Just because someone else is doing it, doesn't mean you shouldn't.