When his senior year came to an end, my oldest son, Ryan, decided he would go to WVU to fulfill his dream of becoming an anesthesiologist. However, coming from a very close knit family posed some problems for Ryan. When he got to college, he was lost. He didn’t know how to handle being out in the big wide world, let alone at one of the most reputable party universities. Needless to say, he did not fare well with the college life. Although he made it through one year of school, he decided he didn’t want to attend a university or go away from home for school. So, he went to WVNCC. Now, as a parent, I had very mixed feelings about this decision. I was excited he would be back in our home, but in the same breath, I knew he needed to learn to be on his own. When I found out about half way through the first semester at WVNCC that he was skipping classes and was failing, I sat him down and had a little talk with him. My speech basically consisted of something along these lines:
I don’t care what you decide to do with your life, because essentially, it is your life and you’re the one that has to be happy with your choices. You’re intelligent, things come easy for you and you have a memory beyond anyone’s wildest beliefs. Why you can’t see this and become what you’ve always wanted to be is beyond me. You have the ability to do or be anything you want. No matter what you decide to do with your life, I will always be very proud of you. However, you cannot live with mom and dad for the rest of your life.
Now, I didn’t realize this little speech of mine would have such an impact. Apparently it did, though, because within a month or so he told me had had joined the United States Air Force! WAIT…WHAT!!!! Ryan had never spoken of the military that I can remember. It was never a thought or option. This came completely out of the blue and was the biggest shock and surprise of our entire family’s life. Thank you to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve our country.
;)
