Gingko trees - our symbol

Are you familiar with the Gingko tree?  It's also known as the Maidenhair, but I grew up hearing it referred to as a Gingko.  There was one in my parents' yarn growing up and it always fascinated me.

The leaves are small straight pieces that are attached together & get closer together as they approach the stem, like a fan.  As a child, I liked to try & separate every last individual piece on the fallen leaves.

Google identifies it as a food - Gingko Biloba, which I did not connect with it until I was an adult.   I always saw it as a dinosaur tree, tho.  It is the only living species remaining in Gingkophyta, and has been identified in fossils dating back 270 million years. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginkgo_biloba

So, why on earth do I relate to this tree?

As I mentioned, there was one in the yard as I grew up.  It's a very slow-growing tree and was always small compared to more modern & common species.  I am physically small.  I always have been.  M is as well.  It is predicted that she will be my size as an adult, but time will tell.  So far, she is small according to the growth charts.

I has a smooth trunk, that I used to like to kindof pet as a child.  Not smooth & chalky like a birch tree, tho.  In the last couple of years, I learned that it produces fruit (duh - it's a food, right?!) that a neighbor told me was the source of the smell of dog droppings every fall, lol . . . .  In our current house, we have a Gingko in the yard.  An endangered species of tree.  That's so cool!

M is the one who first notices the gingko trees now, and I am able to relate some of my childhood memories to her.  She seems as fascinated as I am with them, sharing that affinity for the unusual tree.

The gingko I see most often now is not small.  I am certain is has been alive much longer than I have because of its size and its slow growth.  Unfortunately, I've never felt like our growth has been able to be slow most of the time.  I wish it were slower . . . .   Sometimes our growth experiences seem to fast and too close together to weather with dignity.  We are doing our best.

What does it say about a tree species that it survives over 270 million years, and is the only one that does?  It is strong.  It is resilient.  It has seen it all.  The tempoerate seasons, the floods, the draughts, the fires . . .  everything.  And it's still here.  It still grows straight and smooth. 

It is the only one like it.  Classifying it for a Biology tree project was the easiest example M had.  Many times, I feel like I'm alone in the crowd, as does M.  We are unique as well.  Unique can be amazing.  It can also be lonely.  Sometimes it is both at the same time.

I'm sure most people have seen the trees that grow near power lines, and the strange shapes the trunks take on as a result, or those that grow after lightning strikes or other trauma.  I have never seen a gingko that is not straight and smooth.  It doesn't allow itself to be permanently damaged by the changes around it.  It remains strong and resilient and has changed less than most species, whether plant or animal, during that time.  It may grow slowly, but it is powerful in its own, quiet way.

As an endangered species, you may think that this difference is due to few examples.  However, the city of Minneapolis has them on many boulevards, and M noticed the leaves all over St Paul out front of the Ordway theater this week, as well.  They are all around this area, quietly carrying on.

My family (within our shared walls) has been through a lot of change and growth.  Some of the things have changed us forever, but we are still here and have increased strength & resilience.  We try to absorb that which improves us and makes us stronger, just like the sword of Gryffindor in the Harry Potter series.

While I will not claim to be as amazing as the gingko tree, it's still a powerful symbol in our lives and a comforting reminder in our daily lives.  I have a challenge for you.  As you go through the times you're not sure you can survive, remember the gingko, and keep going.  And as you go about your days, see how many you can spot, and notice whether or not they were hidden to you before.  As a parallel, what people may you be overlooking in the crowd, just like the gingkos within the forest of trees. . . . .

Annual Testing Time

As a Minnesota Homeschooler, the law requires annual testing.  The school district cannot ask for the results of the test, but homeschoolers are required to provide a plan to address cases where the children are below the 30th percentile in any subject.

I think this is interesting & can be related to a family I got to share educational talks with in our last neighborhood.  Their daughter struggled in math.  She was in public school.  She would drop below 60%, so technically failing, and they'd offer her help in math.  This help worked, so she was over 60% again, which is technically passing.  At that point, her additional help would stop.  Before long, she'd drop below 60% and the process would continue like that.

I felt very bad for the girl.  It can't be fun to have the emotional roller-coaster and feel the failure and possibly shame of the whole process.  I certainly wouldn't enjoy it.  She worked hard, too.

This lucky little girl has parents who are very supportive.  They had lots of garage sales and paid the hefty fees to have her go to Mathnasium (I think, working from memory) which ended the cycle, but increased the family expense.  That brings me back to their many garage sales.  The girl is very lucky to have the parents she does.

How is this situation similar to others?  I don't know.  I imagine she is not alone and that not all parents are willing and/or able to help with an afterschool program.  And yet, those afterschool program isn't exactly dance lessons or karate - not the same social value, for sure . . . .

Our own situation is so different.  It has different challenges.  We are very lucky to be able to homeschool and to have the option to hire tutors and enroll in online and local on-site classes for M.  She is thriving, and I love seeing her happiness in the adventure.

Annual testings is kindof like a report card for mom, since I am the homeschool principal.  Here's kindof how it goes.

Anticipation: 
I freak out that she tested out of Peabody (basicly tested out of HS) last year, when she was 11.  I say to myself and my husband and friends my mantra that I will not type here, wanting to keep it G rated.

M asks lots of questions about the new test, which thankfully is given by the same tester she had for her previous few tests, and I don't have answers for her.

Could I research it & answer those?  Sure, but I busy wallowing in denial and freaking out, so I don't.

During the test itself:
I sit there feaking out that I'll look like a bad homeschool mom, but also freaking out that she might do better than I can handle or am comfortable with.  I both want her to do well and poorly at the same time for various reasons.

I listen & remember her father telling her to "get dumber" a few days earlier.  She laughed and lit up - we're weird that way.

I hear her say "I don't know" and immediately follow it with the correct answer.

I hear the tester reassure her when she gets frustrated, reminding her that this test goes through college material.

I remember her years previously telling me she was worried about failing the Peabody & me telling her she'd better fail cause I wasn't ready for her to test out of HS, which made her sit back & think.

I hear her say that her brain is mush and smile, relieved that at least THIS isn't easy for her - she's hard to keep up with & doesn't do well when not challenged, after all.

She chooses to do her weakest subject first, then follow it immediately with her strongest subject, and I realize she has gained the confidence and self-awareness to cope with this far more effectively than previous years.

After the test:
Her father repeatedly asks when we get the results.  With Peabody it was immediate.  As she progresses, there is processing time.  We are still waiting and in the meantime, I'm enjoying the evasive answer of "we're waiting on her annual test results" when people ask me what grade level she's at ;)

People say it must be nice for us.  There are many ways that it is.  Every child has wonderful qualities and challenging ones.  We are lucky to have resources to address our daughter's specific mix.  However, not all criminals had a hard time in school.  There are many horrific examples of highly gifted kids who grew up to use those talents in very destructive ways.  Whatever your situation, struggling in school (like Einstein, for the record, who is universally recognized as brilliant) or bored in school, please remember that all people have different challenges and that every child is a developing person figuring out who they are, what they are passionate about, etc.  Love every one of them.  They all deserve love.  From everyone.

Have a great week!