Thirty years ago I visited Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington as a member of the debate team at my high school. It was a magical place. For the first time, I dreamed of going to college, a dream that seemed out of reach at the time. A seed was planted that day in part because Evergreen seemed like the kind of place where I might become the person I always wanted to be.
Yesterday my son got an acceptance letter from Evergreen. He will be going there in the fall. He carries with him a newly ignited passion for social justice and feels certain that Evergreen is the place to nurture and grow that passion. I am excited for him and yet there is something else...
I am still connected to that old dreams. There is a tug of regret. Why didn't I go to Evergreen? Who might I have become? What would my life look like today and how might my world be different?
Once again it is time to let go and embrace what is, including the excitement in seeing my son move out into the world in new ways. But first I need just a moment to think about what might have been...sometimes sadness can be so sweet.
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