“What is your daughter doing after graduation? Where is she going to college?” I can’t even count the number of times I’ve been asked these questions over the last year or so. They are common questions when you have a high school senior. Well, we don’t know and she’s not going.
My daughter is not going to college, right now
It’s not like we haven’t talked about it or even looked at some potential schools. She would have no trouble getting into college. But, the truth is, she has absolutely no idea what she wants to do and no interest in going to college, right now….and that’s ok.
I’ve read so many posts regarding graduating seniors and they all talk about the firsts and lasts. The last first day of school, the last game, the last Prom. But, when they start to talk about the firsts, like moving their child into their college dorm, I stop reading. I’ve been looking for the graduation posts that I can share from the parents who get to keep their kids for just a little while longer.
I’ve been looking for that relatable piece of writing that applies to her and, you know what, there isn’t one because there is only one her.
I love that I get to spend more time with my daughter
With graduation only about two months away, I no longer dread the questions regarding her post high school career. We’ve raised a smart, beautiful, well-rounded young woman and she knows that she can do absolutely anything.
And, right now, college is not in that plan. I get to spend just a little more time with the girl who tells me when my make-up looks bad or my outfit is wrong. The girl who asks me to grab lunch or run to Target with her. The girl with the smart mouth and big personality, who doesn’t feel the need to impress anyone. The girl who dreams of living in the big city. The girl who has worked since she was 14 and each successive job has been bigger and better than the last.
The girl who is so much like me and my husband. You see, we have taught her that with hard work and a plan, her life doesn’t have to be what everyone else says it should be. She doesn’t have to be pushed into what the school says is the only way. Paths after graduation are not one size fits all.
She’s one of the best people I know and she’s going to be just fine.
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Mindy Altland lives in Spring Grove, PA with her husband, John, and four children, Lily (17), Logan (15), Levi (12) and Lucas (6). She holds a degree in English from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. Her time is spent working part time for a local physician’s practice, overseeing a youth football and cheer organization and shuttling her kids to and from their many sports and theater practices.
