senior year soap opera...and a mature decision (very long)

<p>I feel as though my family life is one big soap opera…after the exhilaration of DD’s Penn State acceptance just after Thanksgiving (and another acceptance yesterday with a scholarship offer), we had major trauma this morning.</p>

<p>To make a long story short, DD has had a long distance relationship with a boy (and he IS still a boy) for about the last year. He lives here in the summer with his Mom and during the school year with his Dad in a neighboring state. During the school year, they’d see each other about once a month.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, this boy has some problems…he was born when his parents were still teenagers (meaning DH and I are closer in age to his grandparents than his parents) and of course the marriage did not last. Home life with either parent isn’t he best. Unfortunately, instead of rising above all of this, he has always seemed to get himself in trouble. We knew this before DD started a relationship with him, but she seemed to have a calming influence on him and he seemed to be making good decisions and treating her better…until lately.</p>

<p>Instead of being happy for all of DD’s recent success, lately he has acted very thoughtless towards her.</p>

<p>Then last night, which was the night before DD’s Senior Winter Semi-Formal, he was arrested for the second time for underage drinking.</p>

<p>His Dad did the right thing in prohibiting him from going to the dance; which meant poor my DD had less than 12 hours to find another date.</p>

<p>Fortunately, she did find a date…from someone at another school which she did the same favor for 2 years ago (but gave her more than one day’s notice, if I recall correctly…) This young man (and he is a young man) didn’t bat an eyelash and is looking forward to going. He has many friends in common with DD, and they should have an excellent time together tonight. (He even thought to ask what color her dress was!)</p>

<p>Then DD did a very mature thing. She called the boy back and told him she thought that they were in two very different points in their lives and that with all that his life has to offer, she did not see him taking full advantage of it. She told him it was over and that she wished him the best and ended the relationship.</p>

<p>I told her she did the right thing and I was proud of her decision. I think this is one of the first times she has made a rational, mature decision on her own. She said it was the best thing for both of them because I thought he was trying to hold her back and he needed time to grow up. She has been thinking of this for some time. In fact, during her religious retreat this week (just arrived back last night), she said she did a lot of soul searching about this so it wasn’t spur of the moment, just the straw that broke the camel’s back.</p>

<p>So the moral of the story CCer’s is, sometimes in all of that teenage drama and silliness, a truly inspirational, mature decision happens.</p>

<p>Congrats to all whose Sons and Daughters have those ED/EA acceptances!</p>

<p>Springfieldmom:</p>

<p>Hmmm. Interesting story. Sounds like my HS boyfriend - we broke up when I headed off to college and he headed to a factory job.</p>

<p>I bet your daughter’s good success with college admissions has really allowed her to focus on her future, and she sees that realistically he just doesn’t fit. </p>

<p>She’ll feel a little lonely for the rest of the school year (especially if he turns up with a new girlfriend) but she’s looking forward - and good for her!!!</p>

<p>Good luck! Her true test of maturity will be in sticking to her guns when he comes whining and pleading with her to take him back. He’ll change! he’ll change! (yeah, right). I wish her the strength to go to college free of this excess baggage.</p>