Daughters

So today I took my daughter to the local community college so that she could take her GED test.  As I reflect on this I come to the conclusion that I, a teacher, can only do so much.  So even as a mother the same should apply.  Students (and children) are also people with their own thoughts and minds and we try to influence them into thinking that they should be a certain way.  I once thought that I would backpack through Europe but the reality was that I was gonna be a teen mom and drop out of school at 18.  Europe was a far fetched dream and so was college but I had to do something with my life.  So after I got married and had my daughter I thought I wanted to be a stay at home mom.  That didn't work out! I hate to clean, I don't necessarily like to be at home all day with the kids and I had no friends to keep me occupied.  This inspired my first return to school.

You might be thinking "finally some sense" but not really I went back to school to get out of my house and away from my kids.  I found that I loved to be in this environment.  "Wow...I didn't remember school being this fun." It was I was never there enough to enjoy it.  Plus, I wasn't engaged in any of the subjects.  My new schooling experience was panning out to be an enjoyable experience.  I finished with an "associates" (I use that term loosely because the school wasn't accredited) in accounting and administration (a glorified secretary...yay me!).  Went to work at a temp agency that placed me a few places and then my "last" job.  (It was the last job I had before I decided what to do with my life.)  I made like $6 an hour and answered phones.  Then I slowly worked my way up to bookkeeper.  I hated what I was doing so I quit to stay home with my kids. Ironic isn't it that I was trying to get away from them in the first place.

Volunteering!
Well, being home was not as fun as I thought is was going to be...AGAIN! So I started volunteering in my son's 1st grade class.  Oh, how I loved to be out of the house and in the classroom.  His teacher asked me many times why I wasn't a teacher, I replied, "I really don't like kids that much." That was a lie!!! I LOVED the kids!!! We had fun and we made things.  I even brought my daughter with me (she was 4) and she learned what the 1st graders were learning.  It was a wonderful time.

Changes
At the end of the school year we moved to a new house and a new life.  My husband said, "you should take some classes at the community college," I said, "sure."  Thus began my 10 year journey to a bachelor's  degree.  Yes, I went to school forever but I managed to gain so many life experiences along the way.  I took small teaching jobs, tutored, subbed, volunteered and came out of the experience with a different view of education then I would have ever thought.

You nothing from my past defines who I am.  It has allowed me to grow with change and learn that nothing is ever what you think it will be.  My life has given me the strength and courage I need to move forward from my failures and embrace what lies ahead.  I'm not always successful at life but I at least try and isn't that half the battle?

My daughter made a choice.  One that will enable her to move forward and embrace life, her choice...COLLEGE! She knows what she wants and she is making her way to that choice through the best means possible.  She's a smart kid! Many "adults" are still trying to find out what they want in their immediate future and here is my "baby" go after her future! Yay for her!!!

Now if she could just get me a job she would be AWESOME!!!!