A Mother’s Love

Years ago, when my son was a teenager, he was dating this most wonderful young lady.  He adored her and she adored him.  They made such a pretty pair, I always thought they’d be together.  But that wasn’t meant to be. 

As many teenagers do with their first young love, my son screwed it up and they broke up.  I don’t blame him - he was young and all these girls were throwing themselves at him.  He had just discovered sex and, being a guy, didn’t know how good he had it until he threw it all away.

As the years went on, he thought many times about calling her - maybe getting together as friends to see how things went.  However, she had gone on to college and she came from a good family much higher on the social scale, so he decided she deserved better then him.  He was someone who battled authority and got into trouble with the law - trying to live up to that “gangsta” image so big in all the rap songs.  She was responsible, bubbly, and a good girl.

Still, I have tried to convince him over the years to contact her but we didn’t know where she lived and her phone was unlisted.  Chances were very good that her parents would never give up the information as he felt they hadn’t really liked him anyway.  So he did nothing - waiting for fate to handle the situation.

Fate did too.  She just married another.  When he got the news, my son was upset.  He didn’t think the man she married deserved her any more then he did.  It put a solid end to that chapter in his life.  We talked about her and how stupid he was for letting her go but no use flogging a dead horse.

I emailed this woman, she is a beautiful woman now, after she had emailed my son a few days ago to tell him she was married.  She found him on “myspace.”  It is ironic, isn’t it that they finally make contact only it is too late to change their fate? She emailed me back and I detected a note of wishing that things were different.  Ok, it was more then a note.  She said she would always love my son and had gotten married because her father had a stroke and she was afraid he would die soon and he wanted to see his daughter get married.  I know she loves the guy she married but might not be “in love” with him.

Still, it a moot point now.  She is married and the cast has been set.  As much as I want to tell my son what she said - or show him her email - I don’t think that I can because it isn’t fair to him or to the woman he is currently dating.  I know he loves the girl he is dating now but am not sure he is “in love” with her…which is a big deal to me but he seems to think a compatible love is less emotionally exhausting.

I just want him to be happy…truly happy. 

 

Closing Down The University

Today is the final day of graduation at the University of Iowa.  The different academics within the University started graduating classes as early as last Thursday with the biggest, Liberal Arts College, being today.  It is estimated it will take seven hours for all the students to parade across the stage.  Don’t think it would be worth it to me but whatever.

Last night was the last night for students to mix it up before leaving with their parents today.  I must say, they really painted the town.  We had so many drunk kids and fights downtown that both the City and we ran out of officers.  Then there was the regular messes that the non-students get into too.  I heard second hand that another person was found beat up pretty badly and is in the hospital.  That is the second one in two weeks.  Why can’t we all just get along???

I’m told this is the last busy night until August when the new and returning impressionable youngsters flood the city again.  I go to evenings for three weeks start on Tuesday so I won’t be able to confirm that statement until July sometime.  I’m sure all the shifts will see a sharp decline in problems though.

As the remaining students move out today, we will smile and wave to them cordially, but inside we are thrilled to death to see them go.