My son's birthday is in a few weeks. I asked him what he wanted as a present. He wants me to buy him 5 books. 3 books from the FAA about aviation: The Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, the Airplane Flying Handbook, and the Federal Aviation Regulations Manual. And 2 math books. One for more algebra practice and another for trigonometry.He's 12. This is what he asked for, for his birthday. Not only this, he's a social butterfly. He swims and his coaches and teammates love him, his classmates love him.He does his chores, he helps with his baby sister.I should be elated. His father passed away when he was a baby and we live in a not so great neighborhood. My son is yet another black male growing up in these conditions and by all metrics he appears to be defying the odds.And here I am, his own mother, and I can't hell but feel jealous of him and insecure. It seems like this stuff all just comes to him.I wish I was more like him. I feel like a terrible parent. About a year ago, maybe more, he told me he wanted to be an astronaut. I encouraged him but in my head I thought that it was just one of those things kids say.But now I'm sitting here, thumbing through the second algebra workbook he's worked through, listening to him practice the phonetic alphabet in the next room and I'm shocked to think that he might actually do it.I'm going to see about getting myself some therapy so I can get past this and be more of an advocate for him. I'm just feeling very low and very alone right now. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2rlqgbe
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