I recently attended an awards ceremony.
That made me, paraphrasing our poet Andrés Eloy Blanco, “turn my eyes to my own history.”
I think my most prized academic achievement was when the Mother Superior called my mother, after a month of pre-kindergarten, to tell her that I had been promoted directly to kindergarten because I “was very smart.” My mother proudly told me about it.
I continued my search for awards, and honestly, I don’t remember any.
I was always a good student, but never in the “Top 3” who took home the prizes.
In sports, I was good at kickball, but the credit went to the team.
In singing, I did stand out a bit and was my class official soloist.
When I graduated as an engineer, I received my gold medal with a blue ribbon. I must say that it cost me blood, sweat, and tears. Perhaps a consolation prize for studying something I never liked, but which I must admit opened many paths for me.
But speaking of the awards ceremony I attended at my grandchildren’s school, it was the “Virtue Victory Awards,” prizes given to children from first through sixth grade for excelling in those sometimes-forgotten virtues, such as humility, compassion, and charity.
With tears of emotion in my eyes, I watched as my grandchildren, in first and third grade, were called to stage. The teacher spoke these words as she presented them with their diplomas:
“You are shining examples of compassion, charity, and friendship.”
I thought to myself, “There’s no more beautiful way to describe a person.”
I left the auditorium, happy, forgetting my life devoid of trophies and I said to myself:
“How fortunate I am!”
I turned my eyes back to my own story again, pleased.
With moments like this one and if love is an award, I consider myself decorated.
Today she shares her “impulsive meditations” from Calgary, Canada, where she lives.
leonorcanada@gmail.com