Good news

God gifted Savannah with an amazing mind. She does not take this for granted, so she works very hard for her grades. We stressed her out last year when we paid for an expensive prep course for the PSAT. She felt stressed on multiple levels. The course increased her workload to an overbearing amount. Savannah felt that if she did not succeed in getting a good PSAT score, the course would have been a waste of money.
To be a National Merit Semi-finalist, a student has to score in the top 1% on this test. Scholarships are pretty much guaranteed. To be a National Merit Commended Scholar, a student has to be in the top 5%.  We learned in May that Savvy scored in the top 2%. I had mixed feelings. Commended scholar is amazing, but she was as close as she could get to semi-finalist without making the cut. This requires more work on her part to bring in the scholarship dollars she needs. Savannah has applied for one scholarship that requires her to be a commended scholar.

I got nervous a few weeks ago when the semi-finalists were announced, but there was no word on commended scholars. We got official word today that Savannah is indeed a commended scholar. I am really proud of her, and I posted the news on my Facebook page. Immediately afterward, it occurred to me that this is an example of sharing something on social media that I would share with very few people if not for that billboard we call social media. I almost went back to remove it, but it is good news, and I think of how hard Savannah has worked. She has endured and fought through much more than I have ever shared. Sometimes life just keeps pushing you down, and every once in a while you get a blessing. I did not tag my beautiful, hard-working daughter as she would not want the attention, but a kudos to her every now and then seems right.
The Holy Spirit grabbed hold of this girl a long time ago, and she would say all the good in her comes straight from God.

This official word came to us on my mom's birthday. I have missed her more this year on her birthday than on any of the others. She would have had this news on her FB page before me. I know because I used to avoid sharing things like this, but she always shared. Cancer sucks!
Savannah posted these lyrics on social media yesterday. They are a fitting tribute to my mom on her birthday:

Though I know I'll never lose affection

For people and things that went before

I know I'll often stop and think about them

In my life I love you more

In my life I love you more. -the Beatles