Here’s the thing:
I’ve been short on perspective lately.
Yesterday I got it.
I took a half-day off, needing to tackle some must-needed to-do list items.* As a bonus, I was able to eat lunch at my aunts’ house, complete with pasta salad, cupcakes, and a walk in the garden. Delightful.
While enjoying the company of some of my favorite people, I confessed my concern about having to put off my master’s degree longer than expected. Then my eldest aunt (now a retired educator) reminded me: “I didn’t even begin my undergraduate degree until I was 25.** You’re already ahead of most people your age. You’ll get it done.”
More common sense than rocket science, but ever since I heard these words, I’ve felt a little more at peace with everything. In a year and a half, Jordan will be done with law school. That’s it. A year and a half. A small period of time, in the grand scheme. And then, it will be my turn.
I can go to school full-time, maybe be a grad assistant.
But in the meantime, I can dream. I can plan adventures for me and my husband. I can make our home beautiful. I can cook. I can enjoy the fact that I am employed. I can take a photography or digital design course at TCC. I can design creative materials for friends and other non-profits. I can stretch my skills set.
And in a year and a half, when the time comes for me to apply for graduate school, I’ll have a stellar résumé and burgeoning portfolio. At 24 years of age.
Not bad.
So thank you, family, for coming through yet again.
Your words of wisdom are always appreciated, and more often than not, right on the money.
The pasta salad didn’t hurt either.
*After a year in the work world, I still haven’t figured out when they expect you to do things like go to the bank. I mean, really. You get off at five, and the bank closes at five. And I’m sorry, but I live for lunch. So I’m not going to take a shortened lunch just so I can barely make it to the bank before it shuts its doors in my face. Any other ideas?
** My aunt put her own education on hold to help out her parents and my mom and her other siblings. So selfless. Here’s hoping I get that gene.
I’ve been short on perspective lately.
Yesterday I got it.
I took a half-day off, needing to tackle some must-needed to-do list items.* As a bonus, I was able to eat lunch at my aunts’ house, complete with pasta salad, cupcakes, and a walk in the garden. Delightful.
While enjoying the company of some of my favorite people, I confessed my concern about having to put off my master’s degree longer than expected. Then my eldest aunt (now a retired educator) reminded me: “I didn’t even begin my undergraduate degree until I was 25.** You’re already ahead of most people your age. You’ll get it done.”
More common sense than rocket science, but ever since I heard these words, I’ve felt a little more at peace with everything. In a year and a half, Jordan will be done with law school. That’s it. A year and a half. A small period of time, in the grand scheme. And then, it will be my turn.
I can go to school full-time, maybe be a grad assistant.
But in the meantime, I can dream. I can plan adventures for me and my husband. I can make our home beautiful. I can cook. I can enjoy the fact that I am employed. I can take a photography or digital design course at TCC. I can design creative materials for friends and other non-profits. I can stretch my skills set.
And in a year and a half, when the time comes for me to apply for graduate school, I’ll have a stellar résumé and burgeoning portfolio. At 24 years of age.
Not bad.
So thank you, family, for coming through yet again.
Your words of wisdom are always appreciated, and more often than not, right on the money.
The pasta salad didn’t hurt either.
*After a year in the work world, I still haven’t figured out when they expect you to do things like go to the bank. I mean, really. You get off at five, and the bank closes at five. And I’m sorry, but I live for lunch. So I’m not going to take a shortened lunch just so I can barely make it to the bank before it shuts its doors in my face. Any other ideas?
** My aunt put her own education on hold to help out her parents and my mom and her other siblings. So selfless. Here’s hoping I get that gene.
2 comments:
Ahh..(sigh)... that lunch sounds absolutely delightful!
And about the bank-- I know what you mean!! My current occupation allows me to leave and run errands to the bank when I need to (gotta love youth ministry), but I can still vividly remember this frustration from back in the days of the old, random, real world jobs. I have no solution to offer you. (That is, unless you get to leave to run other job related errands during the day... then I say add that to your list of things to do while out.) :)
i can completely empathize with you! josh already has his masters, but he's a teacher so its still necessary that i work. (why do teachers get paid so little?)
when's it my turn???
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