It’s incredible…. implausible…. inconceivable that I have a daughter who will be college-aged next fall. I cannot possibly be that old. Didn’t I just turn 20 like last week? It seems as if I was a Sorority-Rushing, Biology-Cramming, Where’s-The-Party-Wondering Nursing Major in college myself a minute ago. It’s unbelievable how time flies!
Butterfly is at decision-making time in the college front. She’s been accepted into 5 universities, and wanted to visit her first preference this weekend before officially accepting. So we piled our family of five into the minivan on Friday night for our whirlwind trip to Ohio and back in 24 hours. It was cold and dark as we drove 6 hours east on the toll way, stopping for dinner in snowy Indiana. Little Squirt showed off his vast cultural literacy: “What language do they speak in Indiana? English or Spanish or Nicaragua or Penguin?”
We spent the night at a hotel in the rural Ohio college town, and, after a fortifying breakfast, drove to the campus for an interview with Admissions and a tour. I had a continuous lump in my throat at the thought of bringing my baby girl here in 8 months, where she’ll be over 300 miles from home. So I was unable to be completely objective. The whole experience made me wistful for the days when Butterfly sat on my lap and let me braid her hair.
It was a lovely campus with a very “family feel.” It has an excellent reputation for academics, a beautiful campus, a very small student/professor ratio, many opportunities for campus and community involvement, and Greek Life. We met the warm and motherly president’s wife, who was busy decorating a Christmas tree. We took a grand tour, where I walked behind the tour guide and asked stupid and inane questions, thus mortifying my daughter, as my parents did before me, and their parents before them. Butterfly will one day carry on that tradition with her own children.
In the end, I was torn. It seemed to have everything Butterfly was looking for in a college. But still, it was so far from home. And so rural in comparison to the big Chicago suburb we live in. Usually my intuition guides me in important decisions, but my internal Intuition Guide was was grieving. So Super Hubs and I decided to lean heavily on Butterfly’s discernment . “What do you think?” we asked our daughter.
I think it was the Hot Guys who sold her on it. A group of them were working out in the quad. “I believe this is where God wants me,” she said determinedly, watching the men exercise, and signed her form. God works in all sorts of ways. Now He just needs to work on getting me ready to let her go next fall.
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2 comments:
So pleased she has her priorities straight.
Ouch. Been there. I'm Scott Woods father. The hardest day of my life (thus far) was the day he drove away from his life-long home ... my house ... and headed toward Willow Creek. Why in the world did I ever, ever, EVER take him to that conference where he heard about internship opportunities? What was I thinking?
Well. I wasn't thinking. But Scott's "other Father" was. And, while I miss him beyond belief, I am so grateful that he is at Willow. God knew what He was doing all along, of course.
It will be the same with your daughter. My wife and I will be praying. But it sure gets hard, doesn't it ...
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