18

A Year of Milestones

I turned 50 on January 20th. My sister has been trying to have a big birthday party for me since I was 30. The day before my 30th birthday my father-in-law passed away. She had to cancel my surprise birthday party. On my 40th she was trying to plan something and I could tell and I wasn't in a great place in my life at the time and didn't want a party. I did, but I didn't. So again, she started planning and wanted to do a back yard party last September to throw me off completely. But September was a bad month for dad in the hospital so she put that on hold. So in early January my oldest friend spilled the beans about my sister's plans and she spilled the beans in an attempt to get the party on hold until July when it would be her 50th. 'I don't think so' was spinning in my head and disappointed that she told me about my sister's plans because I love surprises and I wouldn't want anyone to go to any trouble. So I told my sister that the friend told me and of course she was disappointed. I told my sister I didn't want her to go to a lot of trouble and expense. Well the beau caught on to all of this and in his own thoughtful way overtook the whole thing but smartly didn't tell anyone. So last Saturday night I thought we were meeting two couples that we usually go to dinner with at a favorite restaurant. It was a long and tiring day and our reservations weren't until 8:00 p.m. I was dragging. For some unknown reason we couldn't pick up and ride with the friends as they were coming from different directions because the guys worked on Saturday until late...so I was told.

The beau could tell that I was dragging and didn't love that reservations were for 8:00 p.m. although I never said a word about it. We left the house and got to the restaurant just for 8 and were lucky enough to find a front row parking spot. We walk in and the place is crazy crowded and up against the back wall is 25 of my closest friends and I looked at the beau and said, "what is my sister doing here?" At this point, I still didn't get it. And then I said, "Why is she sitting next to your brother-in-law?" "She doesn't know him." and then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Talk about slow on the uptake.

He planned the nicest party without a hitch. He couldn't stand the thought of me knowing about a party or helping plan my own party so he took over. It was a great party and I made a few friends at other tables by being a little crazy.

The beginning part of the day was a college tour that my daughter and I planned and we brought my sister and niece. The school is phenomenal and my daughter saw that in the informational part before the tour even began. It was so special that ten minutes in I started to well up with tears because I knew this was the school she belonged in and I wanted her to come to that realization on her own and I knew that she'd be safe and cultivated in this wonderful school. Now this school was about 3rd or 4th on her list so this was a pleasant surprise because by the end of the tour while I was talking to the admissions director, she blurts out "Ma, I wanna go here...what do I have to do?" Thank God the admissions director didn't hear her and I giggled and said, "You don't have to do a thing, they've already accepted you. We just have to send the confirmation letter in saying YES."

At the end of the tour we went into the bookstore and she wanted the hoody sweatshirt with the college name on it. She wore it all day that day with a big smile on her face.

So I was thrilled that she too could see how special this school was. It was a bit of a stretch because its an all girls school and I didn't think she'd bite. But this all girl's small catholic private school in contrast to all the state schools we visited impacted her as much as it impacted me.

My baby turned 18 yesterday. We've both been sick all week. She's been dragging butt to school as not to miss anything major. We're having a family party tomorrow and about 5 of her closest girlfriends are coming too. My sis and niece are still sick as well. I'm guessing last Saturday we were all getting sick and all together walking the campus in the frigid weather so that was the start of it. But my dad and mom, my ex and his mom, hopefully sis and her beau and my niece and the girlfriends will celebrate. My beau is headed to Florida to visit his daughter for her birthday. I have a wonderful chocolate cheesecake in the shape of an "18" and beautiful pink frosted chocolate cupcakes to go around it.

So my last Saturday was special because I was happy in the biggest sense of the word that my daughter found her college and that it was a pleasant surprise coming from fourth place into first place in standings of the schools she chose to apply at. After all of these months reciting what her first choice was. Everything happens for a reason. Her first choice college which we thought was a shoe-in has put her on a wait-list. Thank God she realized she loved the other place before she received the letter from the first choice.

And then being truly surprised at dinner was great. It was overwhelming.