Congratulations, Jay

I remember vividly how worried I was when my son Jay left for college.

“How will he ever make it at college without his parents to remind him to return his library books and to wear a jacket when it’s cold?” I asked my husband Jerry.

“He will do fine,” Jerry reassured me. “Anyway, he’s in college. It’s up to him now.”

I am happy to report that Jay did fine. He did great, in fact. He graduated on May 5 and he’ll begin graduate school in August with a hefty scholarship that pays almost all of his tuition. Plus, at the breakfast before graduation, one of his professors told us what a wonderful student he is. And, at the reception after graduation, the director of the International Student Ministries told us how Jay has made a major contribution to the organization.

Of course, it’s normal to worry about our children, no matter how old they are. Sometimes, too, we know them so well that we dwell on their weaknesses and don’t give them credit for their strengths.

In the future, I am going to focus on Jay’s strengths—and also the strengths of my daughter and my husband and other members of my family and my friends.  It’s easier sometimes to see someone’s weaknesses. It’s much better to remember a person’s strengths.

–Joy