Where is Thy Sting?

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
Corinthians 15:55

Visiting Granny (23)I’ve been thinking about these words as I help my girls prepare for their end-of-summer exodus. I know that, in many ways, the first days after my baby has left for college will be as solemn and quiet as those first dark days after a death. We will mourn the loss of our girls, long to hear their laughter, feel the sting of loneliness at mealtimes and evening family time. There will be no giggles interrupting my sleep in the late hours of the night, no fighting sleep as I wait up until curfew to make sure everyone is safely tucked in bed. I will miss the companionship of my now-adult children. I don’t look forward to solitary meals when Ken is away.

On the other hand… Read more

Ten Things Your Teen Should Know Before Leaving Home

DSC01651The summer of 2016 will soon come to a close, and a chapter in my life will end.  For almost my entire adult life, I have been the mother of three school-aged children. While all of my children will still be in school for a few more years, the dynamic is shifting, and my world is changing. This was possibly the last summer that our oldest, Rebecca, will be living at home.  She will graduate from Mount St. Mary’s in the spring and go on to law school.  She is already looking into the cost and availability of apartments in Washington, D.C., and she reminds me often that she will not be returning home after graduation.  Of course, I remember telling my mother the same thing when I was at this stage, but desire is often met with that brick wall called affordability, and I ended up living at home another year until I married.  But the reality is that she will still be in school, and she will need to live close to the city, so I will have to get used to one of my children no longer being a resident of my home.  As Rebecca embarks on her senior year of college and her sister, Katie Ann, starts her senior year of high school, here are some things that I have realized every high school graduate should know how to do: Read more

The Agony of the College Search

 Katie, my high school junior, and I have spent the past two days touring four different colleges (with Morgan in tow). A couple weeks ago, we visited one school, and this weekend we will visit another. I’m not sure what takes a worse beating, my pounding head, my exhausted body, or my aching feet. Searching for the perfect college is not for the faint of heart.

When I set out to choose a school, over 25 years ago, I had no idea where to begin. My parents had not gone to college (shout out to Mom who never gave up on getting her degree after becoming a busy mom). As a student at a rather large high school, I didn’t find the guidance department particularly helpful. It was all a guessing game, so I did my best to guess what the right fit would be for me. I failed miserably. I did no visits, conducted no research, and made no comparisons. I chose a school from a catalog at school, applied, received a full scholarship, and signed on the dotted line. Within the first month of school, I knew I had made a huge mistake. At the end of the year, I transferred to the school where one of my best friends attended. It was a good experience, and I graduated with honors; but looking back, I’m sure it would not have been my school of choice had I done things the right way. Read more