Senior Moments

My daughter, Meredith, is a Senior this year.  New blog - new explanations.  I had Meredith when I was 15.  I was 14 when I found I was expecting her.  Frightened, unsure, in a very unstable environment, that story has been told on another blog.

What I can tell you today - is Meredith is a Senior is high school.  It is daunting and exciting and frightening, and amazing and wow... She is everything that is possible.  I could not have asked or expected for this child, born to a child, to be as giving, loving, patient, and persistent as she is.  She's a survivor.  She's a fighter. 

Tonight I sit with tears in my eyes - I'm happy.  They are happy tears.  Tonight we went to college night at the civic center.  Multiple dozen colleges were there with information and sales pitches and she listened and collected their brochures and cards to fill out and return.  She paid attention to cost.  She listened for activities outside of education because no matter her final decision on WHAT she will study, music will always be in her life.

We talked about her options on the drive home.  She told me what she thought she was able to do, and what she didn't know about - I explained that she hadn't given herself a chance to even study/explore some fields... patience, careful exploration...

So we sat and looked at schools - she wants to leave the Abilene area - this is good.  I will miss her dearly - but I want her to see and experience a life away from home.  We looked at activities, and costs to stay in dorms, cost of supplies - and important dates and information.

You see - Meredith IS something special.  She has a form of dyslexia called scotopic sensitivity.  The words swim on pages when she reads and throughout her high school years she has refused to take the easy road.  Her grades, always difficult for her to achieve, are in advanced placement classes.  I asked her to take the easy road.  She would be an all A student if she were in basic courses - but she always proclaimed that they were just too easy.  She made the choice to do more and be more even when it would have been easier to take the paths often traveled.

It's scary.  It's really scary.  I want to stand back and let her make these decisions and then I want to run in and fight and give and do for her.  I had to stand back tonight and when people would initially address me I would say, "it's great to meet you, but this is about Meredith tonight, I think you need to talk to her..." and they did... and she responded. 

So we sent off for information of two schools: West Texas A&M and SUL Ross State University.  I'm leaning towards WTA&M - but SUL Ross sure looks pretty.

We'll see - the decision is still in the air and she has to visit a few more colleges.

I am a proud mom.  There are no words to express - but every word you think of might come close.

... and this is one of my Senior moments... I'll have many.

Much love -

Simone