One lesson that I learned from my college years wasn’t learned
inside a classroom. The most memorable lessons in life and the ones that we
learn the most from are the ones that we learn the hard way. These are the ones
that stick with us.
And for me one such
lesson happened midway through my freshman year of college. I was away from
home for the first time (not counting summers with my grandparents) and
homesick as well as dealing with the aftermath of ending and leaving an abusive
relationship. My parents thought me going to school away from home was the best
thing for me. At the time I didn’t think so but looking back that semester away
was for the best.
I was home for
Thanksgiving break to discover that my mom hadn’t been looking good. I knew something
wasn’t right but neither one of my parents would tell me what was wrong. I
later heard my dad telling my mom that she needed to me. That I had a right to
know, mom said they would tell me when I came home for break after my finals.
I went back to school,
studied for finals while seeing what schools close to home I could transfer to.
Found one that had my major applied for transfer. Finished the semester packed
up my stuff withdrew from the college and drove home.
Once home and finally
learning what my mom had to tell me, she got some health news that was kind of
scary. She had pre-cancerous cells that were going to lead to surgery and
chemo. I then knew that I had made the
right choice by withdrawing for college. The school I applied to transfer to
couldn’t get me in until the fall so I had to set a semester out. But that was fine I was available to drive my
mom to doctor appts and treatments so dad didn’t have to miss a lot a
work.
What I didn’t know at
the time was that the week mom had her last treatment I started at a page at the
public library. That now 13 years later has me in my dream job.
Lesson learned even if
life doesn’t go the way you planned, it’s going the way God planned.
Carissa, it always means so much that you're willing to share your heart and write personal posts for blog tours. I'm so sorry for all the pain you experienced in your college years. But your lesson/reminder is so beautiful and true, that God is at work, even when it feels like life isn't going the way it "should" in our minds. I'm glad you had that time to be there for your mom, and I'm also glad you're now in your dream job. ♥ And most of all, I'm so glad you've seen God's loving, guiding hand at work in your life!
ReplyDeleteWhen I finished college, I too returned home. I didn't know what exactly I would do or what would happen. My grandma passed away suddenly about a year and a half after graduation, and I'm also so grateful I was home and got to be with her before then and with family before and after that time. ♥
~Amber