I'm not sure if the soft pink glow of her cheeks was a reflection of the beautiful rose sweater she wore to the ceremony that day or not. What I know for certain is that this amazing mother was radiant.
But Katrina wasn't beaming or prancing for the crowds like some show horse or proud peacock. Rather, her ambiance was quiet, confident, fulfilled -- something akin to the demeanor of a wise seaman who had stayed the course through rough seas and calm, never veering from the desired goal -- not in the midst of storms, or solitude, or lonely nights, or seemingly endless days -- and finally made it to shore.
Katrina Atkins is a single mother, and I recently had the pleasure of watching her present her fine son, Hunter, with a symbol of what is perhaps the greatest achievement of male youth -- the rank of Eagle Scout.
Since Hunter was five years old, when his father was killed in an accident, it has been just Katrina and Hunter. Oh, there have been plenty of friends and extended family members who have stepped up to help along the way. But Katrina provided the vision and carried the mantel of parenthood alone -- never complaining, never flinching and never yielding to despair or self-pity.
She did everything from volunteering at school, to tossing balls in the front yard during baseball season, to making certain Hunter had a church family. She went to innumerable Scout meetings, helped make pinewood derby cars, pitched tents on campouts, had sleepovers and made sure homework was done right. Katrina assumed the role of both mom and dad, and she did it with style. I've never once heard her whine or complain or use her circumstance as an excuse for anything -- and, the Good Lord knows, it would have been an acceptable excuse on many occasions.
Making the rank of Eagle Scout is no easy task. I know: My two boys will soon receive their own Eagle ranks, and even with the support of both my husband and me, the going has often been tough. It takes a lot of time, effort, planning, studying, organization and gumption over many years to achieve all that is required to be an Eagle.