I have so many interesting, half-finished blog posts to share, but instead I’ll share my end of summer design challenges….dorm living and college homes! Over the past two weeks, we have moved both kids to college at Elon University where Jackie is a senior education major and Brian is a freshman majoring business. Just like any move, there’s lots of emotional challenges that come along with the physical challenges. Well, the physical part is now done…not so sure about the emotional part.
Hurricane Irene provided some move-in challenges and my favorite Elon ceremony, the New Student Convocation, had to be rescheduled to avoid the wind and rain. It was held outside Friday evening under a beautiful grove of oak trees (Elon is the hebrew word for oak) where University President, Leo Lambert, addressed the students with a powerful and heartfelt message. It’s a message that we can all benefit from and is worth sharing…
Your presence here places you among the most privileged people on the earth. Today might be a good day to whisper a prayer of thanksgiving for all the blessings in your life that have brought you to this grove of oaks.
He then continued with my new favorite line…
You have arrived at a great banquet. Don’t make yourself a bologna sandwich.
It’s funny how the message applies to so many things in life, including design. Why settle for bologna? Speaking of design, as we were settling in I realized (once again) that everyone has their design priorities and this was Brian’s….
Brian and his roommate, Matt…
Jackie, on the other hand, has spent weeks planning the perfect space and always manages to get it just right! Check out this perfectly organized closet….
Check out this adorable farmhouse that she landed with her six roommates (oh, how I would love to get my hands on this house)…
Somehow we figured it all out…space planning (always a challenge), the perfect linens, school supplies, and practical storage.
All I can say is that I have absolutely loved every moment of being a mom for the past 21+ years (well, honestly, there’s probably a few moments I could live without). And as I look forward to this new chapter in life, I’m whispering a prayer of thanksgiving with a lump in my throat…