My mom graduated with her masters degree in social work this weekend. It has been a long road to this place, but she made it. When her babies were young she applied and was accepted into a graduate program in Oregon and when my dad was offered a promotion soon after, which required the family to move to another state, my mom's educational aspirations were put on hold.
I was just five years old then.
Mom was accepted into the MSW program at VCU when I was twenty-six, the year that I became pregnant with Roscoe. We've been in parallel worlds the last four years, my mom and I, nurturing our respective dreams and growing as women, and as mothers.
The sacrifices we make as mothers and wives to balance our needs and those of our children and our marriages, they are real. I love that she held on to this, and carried it with her all of these years, just waiting for the pieces to fall into place.
It is the dance of timing. Knowing what is important and when it is possible. There's a certain grace required to make the dreams worth keeping come true.
Friday was her day and we are so proud of her.
Big congrats to your mother. My mother also put her schooling on hold a number of times while my siblings and I were growing up due to our age, my dad's work commitments, and moves. She was able to finish a degree to be a sign language interpreter while I was in my 20s and has been following that career path since and I am so proud of her.
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