It’s New Years Eve, and I think I might be finally waking up from my collegeadmissions PTSD. My son Will is a senior who has just completed his sweet little college admissions journey. I am not sure that I always supported him in the best way possible during this process, but man, am I glad it is over! He was admitted to his early decision school, so yay and thank God and #blessed and here’s to 2017. Seeing this once again through the eyes of a parent and through the eyes of my son, my empathy has grown. It’s a difficult process, and I’m humbled to have been invited in on such a personal level. I was reminded of details I had forgotten since the big boys went through this process. My opinion is that in the past 5 years this process has gotten infinitely more complicated and trickier. Working in this industry while being a mom with a senior was way more challenging for me than I ever anticipated. I lived in fear that I was ignoring my son in favor of my students. I was afraid that his list was a bomb, yet everyone else was sure it was fine because “mom’s got this.” I froze in the face of his essays and will be ever grateful for the English teachers at his school who took over where I failed. I didn’t know a comma from an apostrophe when it was inserted by my own flesh and blood. I am a huge proponent of early decision and early action for kids who can afford it. I saw an instantaneous change in all three of my boys as soon as they were admitted and knew where they were headed. Will seems a bit taller, a little funnier, more sure-footed, and somehow more locked onto the future and his interests than before. We had a good run, Tootsie Little, but now Mama’s tired! Happy New Year and welcome 2017– the year of the EMPTY NEST! (kind of excited about that.)
