On Finishing and Beginning

The past two days have been a whirlwind… a really, really HOT whirlwind!  For two of the most blistering days this year, Laurent and I spent hours in the car, driving from home to the campus of Glendale Community College, walking around campus, driving to Staples to use the printer (because ours is still held captive by the electronic cleaning company), driving back, walking around some more… all to get Daughter Numero Uno registered for what initially we thought would be just “a couple of classes” to “get her feet wet”.  However, when we realized that she could get a complete full ride if she registered as a full time student, due to her qualifying scores for the Presidential Scholarship, well – that was too good to pass up!

So here we are… 13 years after beginning her education at the wise old age of 3,

sending her off to college.

What do I feel?  I feel proud of her accomplishments and determination.  I feel so grateful for the years we have had with her at home, watching her grow, watching her soak up knowledge like a sponge, wondering what God had in store for her future, but knowing it must be grand.  I feel like all my intuitions about her abilities have finally been validated.  You always wonder, is it just me?  Am I biased because she’s my daughter, my first-born?  Because we live in a state with minimal home-schooling regulation, the ACT and her college placement tests were the first objective evaluations she’s had.

Apparently, it wasn’t just me!  🙂

I also feel a touch of anxiety about what is in store for her as she enters a secular college at a younger age than most of her classmates.  I am absolutely confident that she is  intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually mature enough to handle what’s coming, but it will be a new challenge.  And she needs the challenge.  That’s how we grow, right?  She’s going to grow so much in the next couple of years!!

We’ve been looking at the list of student organizations, and it’s great to see several Christian groups, like Students For Life and  the Newman Club are active on campus.  She’s also looking forward to joining  Phi Theta Kappa.  She may have to be selective with the extra-curriculars until she finds out how demanding her course work will be.

Anyway… now that the whirlwind is subsiding, I am peacefully, and joyfully contemplating the fact that one phase of life is now completed.  Another just beginning.

God is good.