One last push

Well, that 5 week break went by pretty fast, and I started up my summer classes this week, so I'm in the final stretch now. But I was surprisingly productive during my time off from studying. I got my visa application done and sent it to the embassy, my flights are booked, the surprise baby shower for El and baby Fi is done, and I got my DVD finished except for burning it onto a DVD which is a complicated task in itself. So I guess the only thing I wasn't able to do that I had on my list was to learn German, but I guess that was a little optimistic. So now I'm back to studying for the next 8 weeks. And who knew calculus-based physics could be so much fun..

So all in all, this was a pretty great week: in addition to starting my physics summer session, my passport with the new visa came in the mail yesterday. Yuhu! And what better day to receive it than on my son's 18th birthday. I talked about my daughter Nes before, but I haven't mentioned my son Akon. It's amazing to watch a teenager grow from a child into an adult, and to see them learn to be responsible and mature. I consider myself lucky to have been able to see this transformation. He has a big heart and big hopes, but he just needed a little guidance and support to stay on the right track. And like everyone else, he wanted to know that someone sees him. He has tested me many times, as if he's looking back to see if I'm still there. And I always am. So he walks on. Many times along the way I got frustrated and told myself, "I'm too young for this. I can't raise a teenager." We've pushed each other's buttons at times, and he's tested my limits, but from this we formed a great bond. He has come to trust that I'm not going anywhere, and even when I'm oceans away, I call him all the time to check on him, making sure he's going to school and keeping up with his responsibilities. And since he knows what my first few questions will be as soon as he answers the phone, he gets up every day and does what he needs to do, so he can hear me tell him just how proud I am. And I always tell him just how proud I am. And I guess somehow that keeps him going.

So I continue to count the days..