Decisions

Emma always desired to be a lawyer when she grew up because she wasn’t a big math person. She was always interested in being someone who supported people’s cases argued at the Supreme Court. If she couldn’t become a lawyer, she wanted to be a judge who could swing the gavel so everyone could hear what she had to say and emphasize her importance.

“Mom, I really don’t understand what the Russian School of Mathematics (RSM) is teaching me. Because I’m going to be a 9th grader next year, can I quit RSM?” Emma asked in a very convincing tone one evening in the living room. Emma wanted to quit RSM since she was in 6th grade, because the homework was a burden, along with her other homework. “I don’t see how all of this extra math will help me later, Mom.”

“Sweetie, I’ll think about it because I just want to talk to Dad about it and see what we feel is best for you,” she kindly mentioned.

Emma had already noticed that her older brother, Ethan, had struggled through RSM while having other homework to complete. “Okay Mom, but can you please make a decision quickly? I really want to know what my school year will look like next year because 9th grade will already be busy,” Emma begged.

“EMMA, YOU NEED TO GIVE ME TIME! YOU HAVE SEEN MY SCHEDULE DURING THE WEEK. GIVE ME SOME SPACE AND BE PATIENT!” She yelled at Emma.

“Geez Mom, you didn’t have to yell at me. I didn’t do anything wrong. All I wanted was an answer,” Emma sighed, and stomped out of the living room and went straight to her room. She put on her headphones to block out all of the background noise, and calm her mind/emotions for a while.

Two weeks later Emma and her mom had gotten over their disagreement. Emma still hadn’t received a decision, but she realized she could trust her parents to get back to her with an answer, when it was the right time.

While they were in the car on the way to tennis practice, Emma’s mom started a conversation with Emma. “Emma, I know it’s been a couple of weeks or so, and I have an answer for you!” She happily told Emma.

“YESSSS! What is the decision? Will I quit RSM next year?” Emma questioned excitedly.

“Sweetie, Dad and I both agree that you can quit RSM next year, BUT you’ll have to replace it with another academic practice. You enjoy writing, don’t you?”

“Yes Mom, I love it more than doing math!” Emma responded.

“So, in place of RSM, you have to write 2 stories a month that have to be at least 500 words, and they have to be about personal experiences that you have had. Does that sound like a nice trade?” She persuasively asked Emma.

“Mom, that sounds doable, but what happens if I run out of ideas to write about that sound interesting?” Emma asked.

“Emma, you will never run out of ideas because there are so many events that you experience on a daily basis,” she encouraged.

Through this experience, Emma learned to be patient, and she realized that she was not the only person who was busy. She admired that her parents were juggling different responsibilities and were willing to take the time to think about this decision. In the end, she realized that writing would help her achieve her future goals or becoming a lawyer.