Our kids can fly. Can we?

Sometimes I am amazed by the level of achievement of the children in Jefferson County. On every level, in every school, I see those that will stop at nothing short of excellence. It is astounding, really, especially when you consider the obstacles that they overcome to reach their goals. Though our elementary school and middle school students are certainly praise worthy, it is Jefferson County High School that has made the headlines so much in recent weeks.

At a time when the school is in utter disarray, the students seem to have found their groove and are not letting a little dust stand in their way. Both the Boys and Girls Basketball teams have achieved a level of success that has been a long time coming in Jefferson County and they did so with little fanfare. Were they expected to produce at such a high level? No. But they ignored critic and nay sayers and grabbed for the golden ring. If they fell just shy of the ultimate prize, very few inside these County lines will complain. Elementary school students lined the streets to send them off to competition and that pride, that ownership, alone, was a victory. Will the students at Piedmont remember that the Patriots lost in the quarter finals? No, but they will remember standing and cheering as those buses made their way down the street, horns honking and lights flashing. Did we fly? You betcha.

The Class of 2014 presented their Senior Play this weekend and it was, again, wonderful. Every little girl in the audience wanted to be Belle and the cast gave a beastly performance. From robotics classes to forensics, our students are rising to the challenge and we should be proud.

It is time that we take a page from their handbook and step up our game. The path to success doesn’t lie in everything being perfect, but, rather, the fortitude to work around the unforeseen. Political potholes or knee deep in construction-they are just obstacles blocking our path that can put an end to the journey or make us jump a little higher to reach our goals. Our kids can fly. Can we?