“If you were in my shoes when you were my age I wonder how different both of our lives would be.” I’ve had this thought throughout college. As graduation approaches, it has crossed my mind a little more frequently.
As cliché as it may sound, my mother has been an influence in my life for a while now. The older I become the more her line of thinking and decisions resonate with me. When she was my age, 24, she had a 2-year old baby, a husband and a job. She was deeper into adulthood than I am or want to be. That’s not to say she started too early or I’m just getting a late start. Times were different back in the early 1990s. My mother and my approach to life are just as different. Or at least I thought.
Coming from a large religious family, my mother, Robyn Cuthbert moved from upstate New York to Atlanta, Georgia to attend Morris Brown College. She had hopes of becoming a nurse, maybe even a doctor. However, she became a medical coder at Piedmont Hospital. Before she got the chance to finish her bachelor’s degree, she gave birth to me. Now that I am around the same age as she was, having a baby doesn’t seem like the end all be all I have imagined it would be for me. Plus, she was already married, something that hasn’t crossed my mind seriously at this stage in my life. Now that I am older, I see what a sacrifice starting a family can be before you start your life.
The admiration I have for my mother hasn’t always been seen through rose-colored glasses. As a teenager, it was hard to relate and understand her actions, methods and choices for me or herself. Since coming to college, we have shared things with each other, things mother’s and daughter’s will probably never share. Because of this vulnerability and growth, we are best friends. On top of being family. She has pushed me to take my time when it comes to making my life choices. My mother has also been patient with my growth. As well as, learning and applying lessons to her own life. Even going back to finish her degree. My success as a college student has made me respect her, not only as my mother, but a human being.
Mom, we talk now as graduation approaches. I can tell she is even more excited than I am. Although I sat in all my classes, stayed up late to get work done and clocked into my job just to support myself, you also supported me. You made sure I went to classes when it rained even though you were hundreds of miles away. You checked in on my mental health to make sure I was capable of being happy, resilient and healthy. I did the same for you, but it made my day just a little better knowing we were both performing at our best.
The closer we get to graduation the more I realize this is not just about me, it’s about us mom. Congratulations, we did it!
No comments:
Post a Comment