My son Steve is so silly! I came home today to find a very large wooden salad bowl I keep on an out of the way counter upside down. No one was in the kitchen so I cautiously approached and gently lifted the bowl, expecting to see a big black spider or a bee or some other sort of insect which had scared my daughter. (She likes to capture them until I get home to help them escape to freedom in the back yard.) I was surprised to find a bag of tortilla chips from Steve's favorite restaurant, Chipotle. When I asked him why he put the chips under the bowl he explained he did not want his sisters to eat them all. Now, it may just be me, but they would not have even noticed a bag of chips on the counter. The big salad bowl upside down??? A dead give away! Silly boy!
Steve just finished his freshman year at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business' honors program and we are very proud of him. Steve has been a delight to most everyone he meets ever since he was born 19 years ago. Always smiling and joking. Very rarely upset unless it has something to do with Notre Dame football, the Chicago Cubs or the Chicago Bears. He has had his heart set on attending Notre Dame since he was about four years old. He lives and breathes Notre Dame. We have attended many games over the years and he has spent a great deal of time on the campus, falling in love with the ND family. He wanted to be Joe Montana when he was small but gave that dream up when he realized he was not cut out for playing quarterback.
We were on spring break his senior year, the day before his 18 birthday, when we found out Steve had not been accepted at ND. We were with the football team and their families from our high school. All of the boys and parents knew Steve had his heart set on ND. When Steve's father told him the news, Steve was devastated to say the least. He spent the next four or five hours talking and crying with his dad. His disappointment and rejection were almost too much for me to bear. His heart was broken. They walked the beach, the waves and the tears crashing around them, letting the pain come up to be released as much as possible. After four or five hours of deep and painful catharsis, we had dinner alone, our small family not ready to share the raw emotions with our holiday mates. The next morning, sitting at breakfast with other parents, we all looked up in amazement as Steve bounded in, attired in full Notre Dame regalia, "I guess I am going with Plan B!" Plan B? I had never heard of Plan B! " Well Mom, I am just going to have to transfer in next year!"
We were on to Plan B. Steve called a counselor and got all of the information he needed to take the classes that would give him the best chance of getting accepted after his freshman year. Of course the grades were going to have to be spectacular also. He was totally in charge of that department and he knew it. The freshman year in college can be a little bit rocky. Being away from home for the first time. Making all of the decisions for yourself. Party or study? Study or party? It is not an easy year. Steve came through with flying colors achieving an almost perfect GPA with one A- both semesters. He impressed his professors with his tenacity as well as with his easy going charm and inquisitive personality.
Steve did get into Notre Dame and starts there next month. This year he has proved to himself just what he is capable of achieving when his heart and head work together. He remarked sometime early in the year, "You know, if I had gotten in right out of high school I don't think it would have meant as much to me. I might have just skated through just like I skated through high school." He never entertained the possibility he would not make it in this time. It will be interesting to see how the rest of his college years as well as his life play out. His rejection and then acceptance to Notre Dame has been a life defining experience for him in so many ways yet to be realized.
Did I mention Plan C? Steve is in intensive training and plans on "walking on" the football field next year at Notre Dame. Have you seen the movie "Rudy"? That's my Stever!
Kathy... OMG!!! This is so exciting and I was so emotional just reading it. I cannot imagine having that much tenacity and dedication as your son has had over the past year at his young age. I was a total dork my freshman year and had no direction whatsoever.
How wonderful to share this story...you truly have an amazing family and I love learning about them on your blog.
Posted by: Jennifer White | July 12, 2008 at 05:53 PM
What a great story. Your son sounds adorable! My son is almost 16 and is such a joy for me as well! Roxanne
Posted by: rivergardenstudio | July 13, 2008 at 06:42 PM
Kathy,
What a wonderful story and a wonderful lesson for anyone who has ever had a dream! Your son sounds like quite a treasure! What a fantastic outlook he has on life and how our plans can sometimes change. Quite a big lesson for such a young man, but one that will serve him quite well throughout his entire life!
You and your husband are fantastic parents who have taught your children to live their lives with hope. What a wonderful gift you have given them, Kathleen!
I really enjoyed getting to know Steve a bit better. Please congratulate him for me! You deserve to be very, very proud of him. And somehow, if he thinks that he will be walking on to the field like Rudy, I have a feeling he just might achieve that someday!
Thanks for sharing this story.
Hugs,
Debbie
Posted by: Debbie W | July 14, 2008 at 06:03 PM
Chiming in to sound one more note of glee.
Posted by: Karen Maezen Miller | July 17, 2008 at 11:39 AM
Me too! That is an awesome story! What a great thing to watch your son accomplish what he set out to do. I guess he really did want it.
Yay team!
Posted by: Catherine Witherell | July 18, 2008 at 11:36 PM
Hey girlfriend! What a great story about your son and ND... and I hope he is as successful as a "walk on" for the football team as he has been academically! He is a handsome young man with a great "twinkle" in his eye, and I think he'll go on to amaze you and everyone else who comes into contact with him. Brava, mom! Clearly you and your hubby have done a great job raising your kids and you have every right to be proud! And I agree w/Steve... had he been accepted his freshman year to ND there's no way it would've meant as much to him as it will this year. Hard work and determination are an excellent lesson for all of us to learn, and the sooner the better, right?!? I'm delighted for you and your son, I know he's just itching to get to ND later this month! All my best, K.
Posted by: kathy McCreedy | August 06, 2008 at 07:22 PM