Dr Laura -
This week with all it's troubles dealing with an aging mother and crazy dance rehearsals I had to email you to tell you how proud I am of my daughter. You heard me right, dance rehearsals. I am a tap dancer getting ready for a big show on Sunday. Tap is my life. I have been doing it since I was 4 and I am 46!
I need to get back on what I was emailing you about. My daughter is 23, she is engaged and recently moved out to grow up. She moved away in May. She is the kid I never thought would completely grow up and wind up being able to take care of herself fully. She has a learning disability that is pretty bad. She had special classes in high school because the school said she could not "function". They did not teach her life skills at all and when she got out in 2005 she dabbled in dating and going to college but was never serious.
She made this big move and this started the ball rolling. Since moving she has taken on dealing with all her own grown up issues including her medical and car issues. In the past I would have had to have gone with her to her college to help her get the things she would need to be successful and I would have to interact with all the counselors. When she was at home she would never have crashed a class in hopes of getting in. Her new found independence got her crashing 2 out of the 4 classes she needed for school there. She crashed both of them and got in. She could not believe how easy it was.
Last night when we were on the phone she told me she felt like she had succeeded in handling her own things and was glad I had been her support for so long. She said she will still call for advice on cooking and other things but she now knows she can grow up and handle things on her own. This was a big step for her. I am so proud of her. She also informed me she may change her major from teacher to radiologist if I didn't mind and I told her that it was "her" decision not mine to make and whatever she did would be fine with her dad and me because she had made the decision on her own.
Just thought you would like to share in the joy her dad and I are sharing.
D.
