Guardian angels and good news!!!

Dear Readers,

Life has been very hectic for me the past few weeks. I've been dealing with a lot of personal things as well as shouldering the worry and anxiety of my 24 year old daughter, who has had some major life events happen. My daughter is a worrier, she is riddled with anxiety, and she sets extremely high standards for herself (and subsequently finds herself second guessing herself, causing even more anxiety and stress in her life).

On February 20, she took her comprehensive exams that would pretty much determine her future. In order to graduate from American University (with a pretty impressive Masters Degree), she had to pass the tests placed before her. And in order to obtain the full time job offer that was presented to her, she needed to graduate in May with her Masters. Not passing the comps = no graduation, which in turn = no job. Nightmare situation to find yourself in when you are a worrier.

My daughter has always excelled in school. She places a lot of pressure on herself to get good grades (and let it be known, I never put that pressure on her.....I was always happy as long as my children gave it their best effort). Throughout elementary school, junior high, high school, and undergrad work, she always took on the toughest classes, aimed high, and worried until she knew she was going to succeed. She finished high school in the top 10% of her class, earning many scholarships along the way. She graduated with her Bachelors Degree (with multiple honors) from a pretty highly regarded university and then set her sights on her graduate work.

American University is NOT an easy place to acquire a degree of any kind. It is a very tough, rigorous institution that demands near excellence. To make it through nearly two years of graduate level work in her area of study has not been an easy task for her. So, when she signed up for the comprehensive exams, it began nearly 6 weeks of intense studying and worrying. As her mom, I knew she was going to be just fine, but because she worried, so did I. During this time, she decided to start apartment hunting, moving out of the apartment under the stairs ('Harry Pottering it', as one of her co-workers lovingly referred to her previous living conditions) and onto a little more spacious living arrangement (with natural lighting for a change!!!!!). On top of the mounds of stress with the taking of exams, she adds to it, the stress of finding relatively inexpensive living in the DC-Metro area. Oooooookkkkkkk!!!!

March 21 she got the keys to her apartment. And then the worrying began again. What if I didn't pass my test? What if I don't graduate and don't have my job? What if I have to wait til August? How will I afford this place? All the questions swirled around her head for the past week, and, truth be told, they swirled around mine too. I worried so much.

Enter my angels. I've got three incredible guardian angels who never go too far away from me or my girls: Pappy Lester, Pappy Wip, and Grandma Marilyn. I've written about my grandma many times before. She was my world. It's taken me five years to be almost ok with losing her. But today, she reminded me that she is ALWAYS right here....helping me (and my girls) as much as she can. She proves over and over again that she is my guardian angel.

Today would have been my grandmother's 85th birthday. Marilyn Mae (Rehrig) Everett was born on March 25, 1930. She passed away on February 2, 2010. Today, she reminded me that she is always right here. At about 3pm this afternoon, I received a call from my daughter. She excitedly told me she just got the results to her comps. SHE PASSED THEM!!! I can't think of a more perfect day to find this out. While birthdays are typically a day to receive a birthday gift, today my gram made sure WE were the recipients of the best gift ever: passing scores on the most important test of my daughter's life!!! And to quote one of her friends, when she posted the news on the great book of Faces, "Congrats!! I can't wait to see what all you continue to accomplish!"

I believe in angels. Always have and always will.

Until next time, my friends.....never stop believing in your angels. They are always right there beside you, helping to show you the way.

So why should I worry? Why worry at all? (because I'm a mom, that's why!)

I had a very scary moment as a mom last night. At around 9:00pm, my daughter calls me from Washington DC. Now that, in itself, is not scary. She usually gives me a call at strange times, just to say hello, to let me know how her classes went, to vent about a stressful situation she may be in at work, but NEVER, NEVER in a million years did I expect to hear what I did last night.......

"Hello?"

"Mom? Are you sleeping?"

"No, my throat just hurts."

"Oh, well, I am just calling to let you know, in case you hear this on social media, there is a gunman on campus and it is in lockdown. But don't worry, I'm in my apartment and I'm ok."

Don't worry? You lost me at gunman....you lost me at gunman. Well, guess what, that little piece of advice went right out the window when I heard the word gunman. Stuff like that happens in other places to other families. Gunman on campus. That doesn't happen to those I love. While she remained calm and tells me, "Don't worry", I am a mom, we are prone to that. Especially when our children are hundreds of miles away at school. Heck, I worry when I drop my youngest daughter off at the high school each morning. And in light of the year anniversary of the school massacre at Sandy Hook, the phone call last night, rocked me to my core. When my oldest decided to go to North Carolina to college, it was a worrisome time for me. I feared those phone calls. I watched the news feverishly. I cringed when I heard of a college campus shooting. And when she traveled the friendly skies to all sorts of great places, I worried. I worried from the time she left until the time she was back home. I guess I am a worrier by nature. Don't worry? Ha!

I immediately took to the social media outlets, following the story closely. I did heave a huge sigh of relief when I knew the lockdown was lifted and the 'suspect' was in custody. But I could not stop thinking about the what if's. So close to Christmas and my mind instantly flooded with the heartache and pain that the families of Sandy Hook must have gone through last year. In the blink of a couple eyes, I began to think of all the things my daughter has done in her life, and all she has yet to do. It scared me to think how quickly she could have been a name on a news outlet. I think my youngest daughter said it best when she took to her own social media last night, tweeting: It's scary when something you never thought would happen to someone so close to you actually happens. Yes, babygirl, it sure is.

I apologize for this blog not being very Christmas related today. It is the first day in a long time that I don't feel too moved by the Christmast Spirit. Please do not misunderstand my posting today. I am super thankful that my daughter and everyone else on the campus of American University are safe. I am thankful the school took the precautions it did to ensure the safety of the students. I am exceptionally thankful that the incident turned out to be nothing (or so the media outlets reported). And I am over the top excited that I will still have Sunday to spend with my girls, the oldest's boyfriend, and the rest of my family at the sweetest place on Earth. I am thankful that come Christmas morning, I can celebrate with BOTH my girls.

Until tomorrow, my friends.....don't wait to tell someone how you feel, don't put off hugging you children each day (if you can), and don't ever let an opportunity slip by you without telling your children how loved they are. I know mine will get extra tight hugs on Sunday.

Think Thankfully!!!