One More Step Done!

    We have now both applied to Grad school! I'm so excited to graduate this June and move on to the next step, which is grad school. It seems like it has taken forever, but we are finally rounding a corner and seeing the end of our undergraduate education in sight.

    I don't mean "we" as in Adam, either. I have found that often people think that only Adam is in school because I am a mom and they don't think that I would be in school too, so when I say 'we are almost done', they say something along the lines of "oh, what is he studying?" or "I bet you are excited for him." Well, we are both graduating this year and we are both going to grad school and I am so proud of us!

    There have been many points of discouragement for both of us throughout this process, especially when we are in class with 17 year-old freshman talking about their last prom and we have been out of high school forever! The reason I am so proud of us is because we haven't given up yet. I am especially proud of Adam for pushing on after being pulled out of school for his mission and two tours to Iraq.

    Through this whole process of getting through school, coping with Adam leaving, then figuring out how to reintegrate him into the family dynamic, and then having our practically new car get totaled which left us with an 88 Corolla that is half broken, I have learned a very valuable lesson. Which is: If everything material were taken from me and I was left with an empty apartment, no money for school, no car, no nothing- except my family- I would be okay with it. I needed to have everything mixed around/ taken away/ roughed up for me to finally realize it, but there is nothing more important in this life than the relationships you form and the family you love.

    Finally, I very clearly understand that everything that has been stressing me out (car crash/ grad school apps/ money for school/ insurance stuff/ etc.), really doesn't warrant my unhappiness because in the end, I have my family. The most important thing I can do in my life is love and help those around me. School, cars, money, degrees- those are all wonderful things, but I am finally in a place to understand that the state of my possessions should not dictate my emotional stability. Now that I see that, I am able to take a step back and deal with all the annoying things in life calmly and easily, because they really don't matter and I really am very blessed.

    Anyway, my life is full of happiness because I have a wonderful husband and son and parents and family who support me and love me. Everything else is a bonus. So, I will no longer stress about getting into grad school or about driving a crappy car with a rearview mirror that you sometimes have to hold in the air to use, and I will patiently await my acceptance letter.