A Mother's Dream

I remember feeling depressed when I was in my early 20s. I didn't have a serious boyfriend and many of the young women I knew were married with young children or were planning a wedding. I longed for a family of my own but feared it just wasn't in the cards for me.

The man I would marry eventually showed up when I was in my late 20s and much to my delight, I was married before I was 30. I was 33 when I had my first child. This wasn't exactly how I wanted things to turn out. I wanted children sooner. I reasoned that younger mothers have more energy. Little did I know at that time, however, that having your first child when you are in your 30s has its advantages. A little experience and wisdom go a long way toward parenting.

In my 30s, I had a sense of wisdom concerning the importance of education, discipline, and determination. As an elementary school teacher, I can tell you that this is an important quality for a young parent to possess.

Prior to reaching my 30s I would often reflect upon my school years and feel shame at being such a slacker. I remember my high school graduation and how I was barely aware of what it meant to be an honor grad, let alone be one. I was just happy to have barely made it to my graduation. According to my view, the young man giving the speech at my graduation ceremony was at the top of his graduating class because he was born with an amount of intelligence and academic ability that I could only dream of possessing. I often wondered what it would feel like to receive the distinct honor of being valedictorian. I will never forget the speech this young man made. I was so impressed, but still not quite wise enough to be inspired by it.

Right before I hit my 20s I began to wonder if perhaps I was just a tad lazy in high school. Maybe I had untapped potential. So, I took the ACT or SAT test (I don't remember which) with plans to enroll in College. My score was embarrassingly low, too low to be accepted at any reputable institution, but because I was a little older than most students entering college, I was accepted at the University of Northern Colorado where I soon began to discover that if I studied hard, I too could get an "A". I was thankful that the person who allowed me into college knew that the score on that college entrance exam didn't necessarily mean anything concerning my actual abilities. This was such an amazing revelation for me! I had so much catching up to do!

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