With Liz on her way to New Jersey for a memorial service for her mother, Robbie and I went this evening to a "Happy College Graduation" surprise party for my dear friend Peggy (who will be furious with me for calling her out here.)
College is hard enough under "normal" conditions. You finish high school. You get into college. Between your parents, your loans, your scholarships (should you be so lucky), and various jobs, you get your degree four years after your high school matriculation. During those four years, you have to absorb and reguritate huge amounts of information. You have to juggle course loads and unsympathetic professors. But for most of us, college was a full time job. It's not until you pick up your diploma that you have to face LIFE.
Finishing college is orders of magnitude harder if you jump into the LIFE part first. In addition to being a great friend and a fan of the Chicken Nuggets song (don't ask and don't Google), Peggy is the mother of a wonderful almost-18-year-old daughter and is also an Information Technology professional working for the government (a job for which she worked long and hard to qualify). She started many years ago working in a doctor's office. But Peggy wanted more--for herself and for the sake of her daughter. Fueled by that resolve, Peggy overcame challenges that greatly eclipse the colligiate travails most of us faced.
While Peg is quick to downplay her accomplishment, I sit in awe. To have the strength of character and singleness of purpose to pursue that dream for so many years--how can you not find that inspiring?
OBTW, she's starting her Masters program next fall.
Congratulations, Miss Peg. You've earned it.
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Congrats Peg! Good luck in the Masters Program.
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ReplyDeleteThanks, Tim (you can hear it with the sarcastic tone or the genuine appreciation tone ... either works). I didn't do this alone for sure. I am very fortunate to have amazing friends who both inspire and support me. Important things I learned:
ReplyDelete1) Even when your kids disappoint you or if they take a path you don't approve of, don't stop loving or supporting them. They may surprise you in the end
2) When life is difficult (in my case it was all self-inflicted) don't choose to settle for what you have. Choose to make it better
3) Life (the good parts and the bad parts) is immensely better in the company of people who genuinely love and care about you. I'm so very incredibly lucky to have friends like you. Let’s walk at lunch more often …