Celebrate patience!

I love the cartoon, Maxine. When I read her wit and wisdom it could be me speaking/thinking. I have a several of her "witisms" up in my cubie at work including the one that has been my mainstay for the last ten months: Maxine is sitting in her chair with her feet up on the ottoman, eating popcorn with her can of caffeine soda in her hand (see I told you it was me). Her ever present dog is standing next to the ottoman with a plate of cookies as she says, "Now that I am older I thought it was great that I seemed to have more patience...turns out that I just don't give a sh.." And, you know, I have realized that I spent way too much time worry about things that just don't matter (ask my sister, Jul, she will tell you I was the Queen of Worry) and now I really don't give a sh..!

However, with really important things I am learning the virtue of patience. In April of last year we began the process of applying for the military academies. He has had the dream of attending one of the military academies and serving his country since he was six years old. His whole life to this point has been in preparation for the realization of his dream. We applied, we got the numerous letters of recommendations (his counselor, teachers and leaders have been awesome), paid to send him to USNA in Maryland and USAFA in Colorado, we went through the painstaking medical exams and x-rays, we wrote explanation after explanation for this or that, we sweated it while Cole met with liaison after liaison from each academy and with staff from Senator Bennett, Senator Hatch and Representative Chaffetz offices and waited with anticipation through the month of December for a nomination for any one of them. We were absolutely thrilled when around the first of January we received a letter from Representative Chaffetz stating he had nominated Cole for the Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and West Point. Mr. Chaffetz only has three nominations per academy and he used three for Cole! We were overjoyed when a week later, a letter from Senator Hatch informed us that he had nominated Cole for the Naval Academy. Cole now has two nominations for the academy he was most impressed with and wants to commit. So, here is where the virtue of patience is really trying my patience!

Everyday while I was on medical leave, I could hardly wait for the mail to come in hopes that a letter from the Naval Academy would be waiting for us in the mailbox. Now I am back at work and I wait for the call from my mother-in-law that a letter is waiting for us at home. Guess what? We are still waiting!!! The academies have until April 15 to notify candidates of their appointments. APRIL 15!!! That is forever away! And you know what? I am just the MOM! Cole hasn't said but I am sure the wait is killing him as well or maybe he has already mastered the virtue of patience. Meanwhile, we have been working on his back up plans. We applied for a Naval ROTC and Army ROTC scholarships and Cole has been accepted to the prestigious aeronautical school in Florida, Embry-Riddle, with a partial academic scholarship.

I don't know if I can do this again in four years with Charlie! Good thing he only wants to go to Duke!!

So, today I celebrate patience and pray that the letter comes today!