In the Blink of an Eye

Growing up I remember hearing my elders saying to me not to wish my life away and that “in the blink of an eye” everything changes. This saying is so true in so many ways. In a blink of an eye my parents and grandparents were gone, leaving me with only lasting memories of them. As a child we are always in a hurry for the next “big” event to happen in our lives, whether it be getting a drivers license, graduating from high school, getting married and having children – as a child time felt like it crawled slower than molasses on an uphill climb in winter. However as adults we now wish time would slow down and stop going at the speed of sound. In a blink of an eye my daughters have grown up and became wonderful, contributing, funny, giving, intelligent and great women. This past Sunday my oldest daughter, Sydney graduated from the University of Akron with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Exercise Science on her way to becoming a Physical Therapist. It was one of those peacock moments for me as I was filled with overwhelming pride as her name was announced and she walked across that stage, receiving her diploma. Did I get misty eyed? You know I did and for all the important reasons. For her achievements academically, for her becoming a strong and independent woman, for her focus and dedication in achieving this dream and well, because she is my beautiful sweet daughter, my little girl. It brought tears to my eyes because those important foundations of her life, my parents and grandparents weren’t physically there to share her day, though I know that each one of them were smiling down upon her with as much pride as I had for her that day. It seems like just yesterday she was playing with a room full of Barbie dolls and bossing her sister around, It feels like her high school years at St. Paul High School flew by equally as fast and then obsessing over which college she would commit to. Akron at that time wasn’t high on her list because it doesn’t offer a Physical Therapy Graduate program, and it would have been easier to transition to a graduate program at the same school she received her undergraduate. She went back and forth between Cleveland State University and Akron, in the end she of course followed her heart and made the decision that was right for her and how she felt in her heart, for Syd, Akron felt like home. I’ve always instilled in my daughters the importance of making their own decisions. That summer before her freshman year was spent prepping, planning and communicating with her roommate (Claire), a girl from Pittsburgh who eventually transferred after the first semester to Pitt. I remember the anxiousness we felt on move-in day to her new life in Spicer Hall. I remember the excitement she was experiencing as she became familiar with her new home in Akron, searching out places to eat, class locations and a city to explore, one slightly larger than her hometown of Norwalk. The calls home reflected her ever changing and expanding world along with experiences she’ll carry in her heart for life. Memories such as Claire tossing the microwave out the back door into the dumpster when a bag of popcorn erupted in flames, yep…she chucked the whole thing in the dumpster, flames and all. Memories of just how different and how hard college classes were, prompting her motivation to excel even more. Insomnia Cookies was our last stop before leaving town after a visit, picking up a few for the 1 hour and 15 minute drive home. Pizza Fire, Luigi’s, House of Hunan, Wally Waffle, Highland Square, Stan Hywet, Summit Mall, the Tow Path, cheering on the Zips, 22 Exchange Street have all became a part of her eye blink in Akron. But… In the blink of her eye her college experience at the University of Akron was completed. Syd is taking a year off before attending graduate school, she will be staying in Akron and working at her job as a PT Assistant, gaining experience in her field and applying to schools to further pursue her dream. I of course am hoping, praying and rooting for her to attend Marshall University (would mean more frequent trips home to West Virginia) however; she is applying to many schools here in Ohio, in Michigan, Tennessee and as far away as Florida. No matter where she chooses to pursue this goal, she knows she’ll always have my support one hundred percent.
In the blink of an eye, her life in Akron will at some point become another chapter of eye blinks in her book of memories and experiences as she looks forward to that next blink of her eye, I only hope it’s a slow blink!

Sydney started making a marinara sauce a few years ago and our entire family loves it – I’m including a recipe for Sydney’s Sauce, go and enjoy it with your family and in the blink of an eye it will be gone too.