Peaks and Valleys

If I could chart my kids' personalities they would look very different. Jake would be a ragged series of highs and lows. Abby would be an elevated horizontal, not many fluctuations but consistently happy. Sam's would also be fairly consistent but a little less giddy. He doesn't exist in Abby's near-constant state of giggles and sunshine, but he's generally a happy kid.

Except when he's not.

Last week he attended a golf camp. He enjoyed the camp, the kids and the instructor, but when I picked him up on Thursday he was sobbing. Sobbing. The teacher gave me a "what are you going to do?" look and told me they were playing a round of golf on the simulator and Sam was in last place. That's what sent him over the edge.

I didn't make a big deal of it. He was hot and tired and the summer schedule, or lack of one, has us all a little discombobulated.

But Thursday night after everyone was in bed, Sam came into my bedroom and told me he was feeling bad about the way he acted. He said it was the last day of camp and he didn't want his teacher to remember him that way and could he go back tomorrow and apologize.

Long story short ... he did. I drove him to camp Friday afternoon. He tracked down his instructor and apologized.

I've been proud of Sam for many things .... soccer goals, report cards, science fair presentations, School of Rock performances, but this was different. This was a mature decision and a bold act for a kid who tends to be shy and introverted.

It was definitely a peak on the chart.