Yesterday we took a family trip up to Steamboat to visit Lucas at college. It was our first trip up to see him since move-in day, and even then it was only two of us that went. Getting the whole family together was important and special – we wanted to show Lucas how much we support him on his new path and get a glimpse into his new world.
Changing Paths
I’m so proud of him for changing paths and deciding to go to school after his gap year. You can read his perspective on that year HERE and mine HERE. It was akin to stopping The Queen Mary on a dime and turning it 180º in the other direction in the space of 5 minutes. Truly, he was about to commit to an entirely different life path and only in the last few weeks before school started decided to honor his heart and go.
That’s hard to do! Bravo!
If you want to find a better path, you have to be willing to explore a different path. That sounds simple, but how often do you try something different?
– James Clear
Steamboat
And so we had a beautiful visit! Lunch, a set of new tires, visiting his immaculate dorm room (WOW! That’s certainly a new path!), a tour of the campus.
Here’s the “unfortunate” view from the cafeteria.
He is thriving in his classes, making new friends, trying new things like beekeeping, sucking the marrow from all of it.
In an interesting twist, we stopped on the way home for dinner at the restaurant he worked at right before going to school. The staff is completely new, the food is different (not in a good way), and the live music was truly terrible. It was a clear stamp of completion on that path and a piece of closure. On to new paths – and a different restaurant next trip.
Euthymia
A Greek word defined by Seneca as:
…believing in yourself and trusting that you are on the right path, and not being in doubt by following the myriad footpaths of those wandering in every direction.
– Seneca
This is the state of mind that produces tranquility.
Yes! This is exactly the feeling I got from Lucas. A settled, tranquil placidity in stark contrast to not only the undercurrent of turbulence from his gap year and all that came with it, but also his high school years. Those years were filled with impatience, swirling eddies of anxiety about the future, discontent with school, and a lot of Not Knowing and feeling the need to KNOW. Furrowed eyebrows and clashes with teachers have departed and what I see now is a solid young man that is embracing everything life has to offer on his new path, with euthymia and tranquility.
New Paths
My heart is so happy today. Not only from a beautiful day together but from the settled feeling from Lucas on his new paths. I’m grateful he had the courage to go, try, and do. His gap year and all that came with it was a priceless year that he has used to his benefit.
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