We never saved money for my daughter’s college.. We started to, but then…?

Well..?

Well..  then life happened.

As I was pulling pictures for my daughter’s open house last week.. I saw snapshots of that life …

First there were gymnastics classes and dance.. To give her socialization skills.

Then it was off to preschool .. To give her a headstart in school.. After all, she was already so smart.

Then came trips to museums and zoos.. Nature centers..

As her desire to perform evolved.. We added Performing Arts camps and classes..

Add in piano lessons, Girl Scout camps.. Community college Musical opportunities..

Yup.. Pretty soon her college fund was history..

But that isn’t the end of her pictures..

No sir-ee.. Then comes to the cross country trips that my husband and I took our kids on..

To New York to see family.. And to see Niagara Falls..

To California to see family.. and a quick stop at the Grand Canyon..

As we added each new state to our map of “places”? Yup.. More pictures.. Each picture brought a smile to my face.. Remembering the adventures .. the life lessons.. the laughter and smiles..

Along the way…?

Along the way paying for college became less of a priority.. and preparing her for life took its place.

Now don’t get me wrong.. We have always TALKED about college.. and her future. That part was never a question. With her reading before Kindergarten? It was just a given..

The only thing that changed was our focus on saving money FOR her future.. instead of PREPARING her for that future.

What we didn’t realize in making this subconscious shift?

Our daughter has lived a very full. And she learned to live IN TODAY.. although the while working hard toward her future. She enjoys her life where ever she is.. Whether it’s tutoring.. or creating a set.. babysitting twins.. or swimming in the moonlight.. she always has a smile on her face.

Even (occasionally) she will smile while doing dishes.. (hey.. she is human after all)…

So today when I look at my daughter .. and realize that soon she will have student loans..

..and I know that we (her father & I) can’t prevent that…

I realize that .. with those student loans?

She will also have memories of moonlit kayak rides, kayak adventures to find hidden islands, cousin sleep overs (aka stay up overs), many hide n seek adventures in the dark, science experiments growing what’s in our mouth (yuck), science experiments with coke and Mentos, reading millions of books, watching “books” we have read come ALIVE at the movie theaters, doing chores, earning her own money, getting pets, saying good-bye to pets, taking 30 hour driving trips to see cousins, seeing beautiful landmarks in our country, welcoming exchange sisters into our lives, sharing a room with someone you don’t know LONG enough to know them by heart, having to hug those exchange sisters good-bye at airports, art lessons, piano lessons, acting lessons, voice lessons, summer camps, theatre camps, family camps,  swimming in waterfalls, getting leaches, putting band-aids on little ones, having surgeries, playing board games all night, designing her own prom dresses, learning how to eat gluten free, saving money for Disney World, going to Disney World, learning how to drive, making her first solo trip, being center stage in the spot light, being backstage supporting someone else’s spotlight, singing songs on stage, singing her grandpa’s favorite song around the campfire,

Loving others,

laughter,

Faith in God,

Yes.. my baby girl will do amazing at college..

because she has lived a full life!!!!!!!

……I Love you Princess Tiger Lily…..