The Bridge

If the road of life is a metaphor for years in our lives as they pass, then our current place in this household must be a bridge.

Right now, we’re at a place between where we were and where we’re going.

Most of the time when drivers traverse a real bridge, they know the mileage. Any time we cross the Shelby Street Bridge on the way to L.P. Field for a Titans game, we know we have to .6 miles - or 960 meters - to get to the other side of that pedestrian bridge.

The thing about our current family bridge is that the mileage is a mystery.

For some of us – like Paul – the distance is fairly finite. His ‘bridge’ relates to moving from high school to college. That entails all of the details involved with choosing a major, investigating colleges, finding the best fit and getting the best deal.

He’s well on his way in that process.

I know parents of many of his classmates - and of seniors around the country - are going through the same scenario right now.

Paul said, recently, that he had narrowed his college list down to nine finalists. Then, he trimmed another from the list, so he’s really at eight. Last weekend, he told me he had completed applications for four on the list. Meanwhile, he has scheduled a number of college visits.

My son should reach the other side of his bridge sometime next August when we help him move into the residence hall at the college of his choice. Between now and then, he’ll work to identify exactly which place that will be.

Meanwhile, he’s getting the most out of being a senior in high school.

Holly is on a somewhat similar path but the outcome has many more possibilities and the timeline is less definitive. She, too, is a senior. She’s scheduled to graduate from college in May. By next August, theoretically, she could also be moving to a different place.

But will it be a grad school? If so, which one? And in what program? Or might she follow a different path and delay grad school for a year or so?

As I frequently tell her, she has options. And, options are a wonderful thing!

As for my wife, I think Lisa is just helping the others of us cross our bridges. I don’t expect she is looking to make any significant changes.

She’s the most wonderful mother I know – loving and supportive. And her career continues to spiral in an upward path. She’s known for being someone who gets things done. She’s very popular among her students. And she is constantly being tapped to serve in new and different roles by her supervisors.

She’s in a good spot.

As for me, I wonder where the bridge is taking me. And what will I find on the other side? Timeline: Unknown.

Along the way, I’m always seeking to learn and grow and develop. I’m hoping to refine the tools in my toolkit; always looking for new opportunities to do so.  In many ways, developing this blog is part of that growth process.

And I’m loving the process! After all, isn’t the journey supposed to be the fun part of getting there?

JG  

Originally posted 10/10/2012