Have you ever unfairly judged someone or something? When I was working as a corporate attorney before I was married or had kids, I unfairly judged PTA Moms. Now, here I am, wrapping up a year as President of the Parent Council, which is CCA’s version of the PTA. I am grateful to stand corrected on my prior wrong ways of thinking!

Here’s what I’ve learned about CCA Parents who serve: they are not relaxing on the couch all day eating bon bons, or bored and lacking other things to do.  Instead:

• They are intentional stewards of their time.
• They are hard workers.
• They love and appreciate CCA teachers, coaches, and staff.
• They have an array of valuable skills and talents.
• They are servant leaders and influencers of the culture of our school.
• They are genuine encouragers and prayer warriors.
• They are community builders,
• and they are some of my dearest friends, whom I may not have met without showing up to volunteer at school. 

Making authentic connections and friendships as an adult can be challenging. Little kids have a natural way of jumping right into talking with each other and playing together. My kids often end up chatting with other kids they’ve just met. This has sometimes been uncomfortable for me, their introverted mom. Several years ago, when we were at Obstacle Warriors Kids, my son invited another kid (whom he had just met there), the little brother, and the mom to join us for lunch at Chuy’s… and they said yes! I was proud of my son for being so friendly, and I was also mortified. There was awkward small talk between me and the other mom at lunch while the kids laughed, talked, and colored on their placemats. Then we never saw them again. 

Was it the climbing obstacles together or coloring placemats that made those kids connect so easily? I don’t know - maybe it was just because they were kids. As an adult, I have found that having something to do together makes it easier to get to know someone. The joint effort to complete a task, plan an event, decorate a venue, and serve our school in collaboration with others is an incredible backdrop for establishing friendships. I’m so grateful for CCA’s community. The more I get to know the people who are a part of it, the more I come out of my own insecurities and realize that each CCA parent and teacher or staff member isn’t a stereotype but a real person who is worth getting to know. 

Each parent at this school has unique experiences and valuable strengths to offer, expertise to contribute, and some undiscovered talents waiting to be released. We are all Christian parents intentionally raising our kids in the way they should go. We are invested in CCA for the education of our children; let's also invest in the culture of our amazing school by growing in relationships with one another.  Parenting is hard y’all, but the journey is so much richer (and more fun) when we come alongside each other in community. To get plugged into the CCA Community through serving, complete the Parent Council Volunteer Survey. Your unique strengths and talents are needed and appreciated, and we can’t wait to get to know you better!