The fall semester was flying by, and Connor was doing great during his first semester in college at University of Alabama. At the urging of his parents (haha), he had taken a light course load in order to adjust to the demands of college and his new social life on campus. What he quickly learned is that his schooling in Katy had well-prepared him for college, because he found himself with a lot of extra time on his hands and even felt a little bored from time to time. He and his new group of friends quickly fell into a good routine, and they began meeting up for study sessions and football games in the library on Sunday afternoons. They played a lot of pickleball, and they also attended several of the football games together, which was always a blast as an Alabama student. I was so thankful for the photos he would send my way, and I often got pics from fellow moms as well. It felt like Connor was finding his rhythm and place at school, for which we were so thankful!
In October, we were thrilled to find out that Grandma Cheryl and Grandpa Jerry would be making a visit to see Connor at school. They drove the LONG distance just to spend a day with him, tour the campus, and hang out. Connor was so happy to show them around and catch up, and we sure felt the love from multiple states away. So thankful for amazing and loving grandparents!
As the weather cooled and the warmer clothes were pulled out, Connor was closer to his visits home for Fall Break and Thanksgiving. It had been a LONG 2 months without seeing him, but we knew he was doing great. Some of the tips I had been given as a freshman mom included (1) send the kid a Venmo payment when he calls you (to encourage more calls!) and (2) start a Snapchat streak so you can see photos of your kid throughout the semester. Those tips paid off (literally) because we were able to hear from Connor frequently, and the Snapchat photos helped me feel close to him when the distance felt hard. One of the most fulfilling moments (for me) of the semester was during a conversation we had, when Connor and I were reflecting on his tough decision to attend university so far away. At one point, Connor said, "I know I'm where I'm supposed to be," and it just floored me. I had never heard him make a statement about college with such conviction, and it was so rewarding to hear him recognize that his difficult decision had been the right one. It didn't mean that the distance wasn't still tough to manage from time to time, but he knew there was a bigger picture and Alabama was the right place for him to allow his future to unfold, whatever may be in store.
No comments:
Post a Comment