A Mother-Daughter Kind of Thang

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

Before I get to the news that made my day/week/year/life let me give you some context.  For those of you who are my new followers and for those of you who don't know me too well, writing used to be a terrifying assignment for me. I was never taught how to write well. Year after year my teachers taught the same thing.

Object. Subject. Verb.

No one taught me how to write in a structure that would help all my thoughts be focused. My parents and teachers all said the same thing to me. "You have great ideas, but your paper is very scattered."

Fast forward to yesterday. My mom is going back to school to earn her Ph.D. She had a midterm paper due today for a Freud class she is taking. This is the email I received yesterday:


Hi! 

I finally finished my midterm and thought you might be willing to give it a look and let me know if there's anymore editing I should do. It's supposed to be 3-5 pages and highlight some of the ideas we've touched on this quarter in Freud with our case material. It is supposed to show that we understand the concepts we are learning about. 

I'd love your feedback before I print it tonight, otherwise, we can talk about it another time, and I'll print it anyways. I don't think I can look at it anymore (I'm smiling).

I love you,

Briar

OKAY! First, she signed it Briar. That's her name but to me she is Mommy. That made me laugh. Anyways, the real miracle here is that she came to me for help. After I was done editing her paper we spoke on the phone. When we were done she said she was "grateful for my editorial mind."

Life really doesn't get any better for a mother-daughter relationship when your mom turns to you for help when in the past it was the biggest hurdle for the both of us; Me with writing the assignment and her staying up past midnight to help me edit it (a.k.a. redoing the paper).

That's all for now folks!

A Job Well Done

Firstly, let me say Happy New Year. It's been some time since my last post but I'm back. The title of this post will slowly be explained as you read along.

If I have learned anything from my parents, teachers, friends and life itself it's that acknowledgments are important, if not vital. Why do I say this to you? Sometimes people get lost in their world of what perfection should like. Whether it's living in an older siblings shadow or a parents life-long dream for you, it can become difficult to appreciate the baby steps.

As you know, if you have read my whole blog and kept up with me, I struggled immensely in elementary school, middle school and high school. It wasn't until college where my grades significantly shifted and I understood the importance of education and the benefits of working hard.

I was brought up and taught that it wasn't always about the grade but about my effort. Still, when my brother was bringing home straight A's without any effort, it was hard for me to accept that I was smart. I now write to you, my loyal readers, as my fall grades are officially in. With 5 A's and one B, I sit before my computer as a 3.8-GPA student.

Although I'm struggling to find my next step in life, right now I know it's okay to just bask in the glory of a job well done. Whether I chose law school, an internship for six months in New York City or earn an incredible job as an editor/writer, life will work itself out and I will be okay.

This post is for those of you who have struggled, are currently struggling and those who want to make someone else's life easier. I commend you on not giving up and wish you the best in your endeavors.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I challenge you to click on the link below and watch the video. See where it takes you and never forget that your life is not over and your future is as bright and wonderful as you say it is.

http://www.landmarkeducation.com/introduction_to_the_landmark_forum_video.jsp