Someone has been missing from several blog and IG posts. That someone is my 14-year-old son, Cameron. He’s my first born, the other half of my heart, of course his sister is the second half. He currently lives three hours away with his dad, and has been since he started middle school. I call him my carbon copy. We are alike in so many ways. He looks like me, we both love comics, especially the Marvel Universe. We draw, although his talents have far surpassed my own. He’s also an introvert and craves alone time just as much as I do.
A lot of moms have asked me how could I let him go. A lot of dads have commended me for my decision. It wasn’t easy, but it was right. Many years ago, his dad and I agreed that our son would move in with him to start high school, but that changed. As he grew up, he developed an interest in animation and CGI (computer generated images). He never had a real interest in sports. Getting him to play anything never really went well. He did not like going outside. He complained about the heat and the gnats. Living in Southwest Georgia, that’s actually a very valid complaint. Because of his interest, the middle school where I teach was not the school for him. It really caters to those who have an interest in sports. There is nothing there for kids who are interested in tech or the arts. I also did not want to be his teacher. It may seem silly, but I did not want anyone to think I was giving him preferential treatment. I also knew he was going to grow up to be a man. I can’t teach him how to do that, so it was time for his dad to fill that need.
His dad and I talked and decided that Cam would move in with him the summer before sixth grade. I spent the entire year before talking to him about it. I had to try and prepare him, because he is a creature of habit; he hates change. When the time came, it was right after his twelfth birthday dinner. He cried, I cried, Rylin, his sister cried. It was an adjustment, but we’ve all gotten used to it. He comes home on some weekends, holidays and the summers.
He has done and is doing so much. Currently, he is enrolled in the magnet program at his high school. He has taken music and learned to play the trumpet. He takes art animation and golf lessons. He joined the chorus in middle school. He’s a member of the art and robotics club. They even made their own video game where he was in charge of character development. There have also been some struggles. He had problems with completing assignments, and even turning work in all through middle school, except eighth grade. He even started his first semester as a freshman doing the same thing. We spent this past Christmas organizing his book bag and folders and giving him tips on staying on top of his assignments, tests and quizzes. Since this second semester started, he’s been doing a lot better. Maybe the $500 for all A’s his dad promised him is a bit of motivation. He still hates it when he has to leave, but he loves his school and all of the different things he has experienced.
If I had to do it all over again, I would make the same decision. I feel like I gave him a better chance of being what he wants to be. I was really impressed that he has known what he wanted to do since he was eight years old. I knew what he needed was not in our little rural town. I am confident that he will use all he is learning to live his best life.
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