Today, I gave my 10-year-old son a math test. He spent nearly an hour, scribbling across four sheets of scratch paper. Every problem was tackled with focus and determination. When he finally handed it to me, I could see the pride—and the anxiety—in his eyes.
I graded the test and announced, “It’s an 89. That’s a high B.”
Immediately, tears welled up in his eyes. He had poured his heart and effort into that test, and still, it wasn’t perfect. I looked at him, and then down at the paper in my hand. And then, without a word, I tore it in half.
My boy is so much more than a number on a sheet of paper.
He’s amazing in the kitchen, cooking meals for the entire family with ease. He’s incredible with his hands, building and fixing things like a skilled craftsman. He’s persuasive and witty, always ready with a joke that lights up the dinner table. He’s kind and sensitive when someone needs compassion. He’s diligent, never giving up until he knows he’s done his best.
I looked into his eyes and said what I had always wanted him to know: “I saw how hard you worked. I saw your effort, your focus, your determination. I watched you erase, rethink, and give your absolute best. And I have never been more proud of you.”
Because children are more than test scores. They are more than reading levels or grades. They are full of character, curiosity, and unique gifts. Education matters, but it is not the measure of a person’s worth.
I am far more concerned with the way he treats others, the integrity he shows, the kindness he shares, and the heart he has to serve and love. I am more concerned with building a boy of character than a boy who can simply memorize division facts.
And yet, I was amazed at how much pressure he felt, how much he wanted to succeed. That ambition, that desire to do well, is itself something to be celebrated.
So yes, the grade was 89. But in my eyes, my boy had already earned far more than that. He had earned my pride, my admiration, and my unwavering love.
He is perfect—not because of a grade, but because of who he is.
