Counting Down

As this last week of February gets ready to start, we find ourselves in the final throes of an exciting countdown here. If all goes according to plan, this Friday The Boy will know if he has been accepted to his lone university of choice, our alma mater, BYU, for the Summer Term and beyond. Suffice to say, there is just a huge tiny sense of anticipation here.

The stunningly patient and mighty fine SML and I invited The Boy to join us for dinner last night and we were glad when he arranged his schedule to join us. Due to my travel schedule the past week, the last time I'd seen the Boy was Monday night. So I really was glad that he would go to dinner with us. He's an eighteen year old kid with plenty going on. Hanging out with his borderline empty nester parents is not necessarily high on the list of priorities. I get that.

At dinner, our main topic of conversation was the countdown. There is a literal countdown that he's had running on his iPhone for the last 55 days, since he submitted his application. As he talked about how he's psyching himself up for a potential rejection and yet unable to mask his excitement of the potential of going out to school, I couldn't help but be a little impressed by the way he's worked this out in his mind. He's showing that he's got a good head on his shoulders. He's thought this through and he's already made up his mind that if he is not accepted that he'll embark on a mission for our Church. Either way, whether he goes to school for a time or leaves on his mission immediately, The Boy is set for experiences that will shape him for the rest of his life for the better. I wish I had choices like that.

With those kind of choices, the countdown we are observing is one of many ahead of us. Countdown to graduation. Countdown to leaving for school. Countdown to leaving on a mission. Countdown to empty nest living! This is shaping up to be a big year of transition for us. As I think about what lies ahead, I am at peace. We are ready for this. Bring it.