Light at the End of the Tunnel

Soundtrack:  I've Seen Better Days by Sublime
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfqJJLBHmhA

Book on my nightstand:  She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb

2015 is supposed to be the year - the year my oldest son joins the military, the year my youngest son graduates from college and hopefully finds a job, the year we pay off the house, the year my husband and I start re-connecting in our marriage, the year I quit my job and re-career into something I enjoy doing.  Whoa, Nelly. Back up there. 

My husband and I are fortunate in that we are willing and able to pay for our children's college tuition and all other related expenses - books, rent, food, car expenses, weekly allowance.  The list goes on and on.  No loans, no scholarships here.  Our parents did that for us and it was important to us that our children graduate from college without the burden of being enormously in debt.  This gift to our children has come through our blood, sweat and tears and some pretty savvy financial planning. 

When my oldest son first entered college, I decided to return to the workforce to help with the expenses.  I have a wonderful but grueling job so the plan has always been for me to quit when our youngest son was graduated from college in May 2015.  I was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel and was mulling over all the wonderful new adventures I could embark on with my free time when I quit.  

Imagine my surprise when I got a call from my son, who, in a sheepish voice, managed to inform me that SURPRISE - he is short 12 hours of credits and won't be graduating in May after all.  As if to take some of the sting out of this news, he added that his adviser said this happens all the time.  Like, no big deal!  Obviously, his parents paid for his college tuition too.

As the days rolled by, I managed to go from shock to a slow stew.  I couldn't let it go and  wanted someone to commiserate with me.  Someone who knew what it was like to sacrifice for your kids, to work hard at a thankless job, to put your own dreams temporarily aside.  Who better than another mother - my mother.  I filled her in on the whole story.  The whole, woe is me tale of how my youngest son was now going to graduate later than expected forcing me to possibly delay my plans.  After pouring out my heart and soul, there was silence on the other end.  I was convinced she was thinking of just the right words of comfort.  "Didn't you fail Economics your senior year and have to go to summer school to graduate?"  I felt like I'd been punched in the gut by my own sweet, 104 lb. mother. "But that was different," I insisted.  "I didn't just forget to take 12 hours of classes."  "Same result" was all she said. It was all she needed to say.

Moms are good at putting matters into perspective and putting their children in their place.  I got over being angry and can now manage a chuckle over the situation.  Have I confessed to my son that I, too, graduated a semester behind?  Absolutely not.  Some things are just better left unsaid.