Back in the day, colleges sent out letters to inform students whether they had been accepted. The thickness of the envelope told you whether it was a “yes” (additional forms to fill out and probably the instructions for turning over your life’s savings ;-), or a “no” (really, how many words does it take to say they don’t want you?). My niece went on-line the other day and found out she had been accepted to the University of Texas at Austin, her first (and practically only) choice. She is filled with excitement at this next step in her life.
Other than marriage and parenthood, I can’t think of any other moment in life that is so full of anticipation and dreams. A few freshmen know what they want to major in but most use the first years of college to discover what they are good at and what they can be passionate about. If they are lucky, that self-discovery takes them on a path of fulfillment and challenge. If they are even luckier, they find jobs that turn into careers and bosses that turn into mentors, they put their heart and souls into companies that actually behave like “our employees are our most valuable asset.”
An 18 year old doesn’t yet know of life’s realities. The world is opening up for them and they go forth like they are Neil Armstrong stepping on the face of the moon for the very first time. They stumble, they might even take a step or two back, but the lure of Possibility is usually strong enough to help correct their course. They learn endurance and tenacity. Their dreams are the most exciting thing in their life right now. And my wish for Meghan, and all the others, is that their dreams come true.
