I heard a quote via Adrienne Clarkson (CBC) the other day:
"One of the greatest influences in a child's life is the unfulfilled dreams of their parents."'
Today, my eldest daughter decided to drop her Grade 12 French Immersion course. She was having difficulty and struggling daily, had lost confidence and so made the decision to give up. It was the last course she needed to fulfil the requirements of the Ontario Certificate in French Immersion -- what would have been a nice feather in her cap not to mention a leg up in the job search world.
As I face the painful reality of this, it is my own disappointment that surfaces. How I wish I had the opportunity to have a French Immersion education. How I wish I could have been immersed in the language from a young age, acquiring that beautiful French accent you only get when you learn as a youngster. How I wish I could currently apply for career opportunities that list bilingualism as a definite asset.
It is my own loss that I grapple with. All those hours advocating for French. The hours I spent creating a presentation to the School Board when they threatened to remove the French Immersion program from our rural school, all the French dictionaries and workbooks I searched for and purchased to support my daughter's study, the tutors, the homework help, alas ...
I will now move on, realizing it is my own disappointment that taints my ability to support my teenager's decision. She speaks French beautifully and has no inhibition in helping French- speaking customers in her part-time job or speaking freely to Quebecors vacationing at the same resort we are enjoying. That truly is the value of the French education she has received. Hopefully it won't take me too long to reconcile this ...
But ah, the unfilled dream of a parent. Powerful.
