<p>OK, so my daughter came home with an AP English assignment this week:
" Pretend that I am leaving for college tomorrow. Write me a letter giving me all the advice that you would like me to have for the next 4 years."<br>
Due next Monday.
For the parents.
I guess I can see how this relates to Hamlet and “to thine own self be true”, if I can see the keyboard through the tears.</p>
<p>How would you answer?</p>
<p>Oh my…really?..sigh…to put your thoughts down on paper, for the world to see…Be kind to yourself…it makes me want to cry, just reading your post.</p>
<p>This link was posted last August on CC. My freshman son had just started college and boy did this bring tears to my eyes. It’s by Ben Jones from MIT. I still read it from time to time. </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/life/workplay_balance_at_mit/50_things.shtml[/url]”>http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/life/workplay_balance_at_mit/50_things.shtml</a></p>
<p>Not a parent, but:
“I love you. I’ve always loved you, and I’m sending you off to college because I love you enough to let you go. Take care of yourself and know that I will always be standing beside you cheering when you triumph and standing behind you, crying, when you fall. Your life is yours, but you will be mine. Good luck and God bless, for He has blessed me everyday by giving me you.”</p>
<p>It’d be short but sweet (and please don’t plagarize ;)).</p>
<p>My mom called today while I was in class and left a voicemail that just had the song “My Way Back” by Trace Adkins. She knew I was in class so it was planned. I didn’t know it was so incredibly hard to walk across central campus trying not to burst into tears with a phone to your ear.</p>
<p>Stand on your own two feet…does not mean ‘do it by yourself’. What I believe it really means is that there comes a time for us to try to walk. Like when you were a baby. At first you needed to be carried, then you taught yourself to crawl, eventually you pulled yourself up on anything you could, and stood, then you held on for dear life and “cruised” a room, and finally, bravely, you let go, and tried to walk. BOOM! You fell down. You got back up, and with wobbly legs, you tried to walk. BOOM! You fell down again. Time after time, for countless times, you tried to walk unassisted. And then it happened. Arms straight out, legs ready for balance, you did it! You walked. Unassisted. But you were not alone. Someone who cared for you and loved you was always close by, being there to lend a hand, or even just words of encouragement when needed. We clapped for you and cheered you on as you went from walking to running, to skipping and jumping. Through skinned knees and all the bumps and bruises that independent movement brings. And we will continue to be there through all the windy roads you will now begin to travel independently. We will continue to cheer you on and offer our love and support, our guidance. As you stand on your own two feet, just know you don’t have to do it by yourself.</p>
<p>I don’t get it. You (the parent) have an assignment for AP English??? Whatsup with that?? </p>
<p>If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, it’s yours. If it doesn’t , it never was.</p>
<p>So by Thanksgiving, she will be yours!</p>
<p>I’m not sure I understand this, either … what happens if Mom doesn’t want to do the assignment? Not to be uncooperative or anything, but I’ve already done high school. If I want to write such a letter, it will be for my child’s eyes only.</p>
<p>I do think this would be a great assignment for a student to write from the parent’s point of view.</p>