My Wish Upon a Star
I could give you every detail of the days preceding her birth. From the way she kicked while in my belly to the first labor pain in the sand trap on 17 at Deepdale Golf Club, to shopping at Home Depot with my mother and indicating that it was probably wise to head home, to her father declaring “It’s go time!” at North Shore University Hospital after the doctor confirmed that I was in labor. Still in denial of the prospect of becoming a parent and the fear of what was physically ahead of me, I asked the doctor if we could just stop for a glass of wine and watch Kentucky vs. Arizona in the NCAA Championships. Without skipping a beat, the doctor responded, “You will have your own March Madness if you don’t get to your hospital in the city now.”
We trudged through a Nor’ Easter on the LIE, heading West towards the city in order to check in to NYU Medical Center. Hailey, still in my belly was causing a decent amount of physical pain combined with the emotional torture of “just letting you know I’m in here, but I’m not sure if I am ready to come out.” Thirty-six hours later, it really was “go time” with an emergency C-Section (prayer answered!). And there she was, Hailey Elizabeth Wilson, named after Halley’s comet.
Now I didn’t study as much as I should have in high school but I did learn that Halley's Comet is arguably the most famous comet…“A "periodic" comet that returns to Earth about every 75 years, making it possible for it to be seen twice in a lifetime.” (http://www.space.com/19878-halleys-comet.html) Comets are the largest objects in our Solar System and have tails that can extend millions of miles into space.
The inside of the comet is made up of frozen particles but as the comet moves closer to the Sun, the heat from the Sun turns the outer ice into gas and the solid particles are released as dust as solar winds push it away which causes it to form the beautiful light show seen from Earth. (http://www.kidseclipse.com/pages/a1b3c0d3.htm)
The last time it was here was in 1986, (the year I graduated from high school) and it is projected to return in 2061. I remember the news and the sight of it all having a big impact on me and had declared then that my first born would be named after the infamous comet. Hailey, since the moment of conception has really exemplified the beautiful qualities of the mesmerizing trail of a comet.
Fast forward, eighteen years…
Today, we are packing the car for College. Bittersweet to say the least. What was once the most dreaded time of year between fighting for school supplies, spending $200 on a stupid calculator and watching my checks from my check book vanish as I write fifteen different $5 checks to the school for who knows what, I found myself nostalgic and weepy this week as I walked through what once was the most dreaded time of the year.
Awakened early by the need to write, I have reflected on the collection of teachings which I hope that I have instilled in my kids over the years. I have a few that especially apply during college years. Number one and twenty five should be a constant…
1. Start your day with a prayer.
2. If you don’t have some level of fear, be very afraid. Change is scary yet can be so exciting at the same time. Embrace it!
3. Don’t judge others as you don’t know what circumstances they have encountered or endured in their lifetime. Everybody has a story. Listen to it as it will reveal more than you know. However, assess words vs. actions. Actions of others will be your barometer so set your boundaries based on your reading.
4. When you find yourself nervous and insecure around a particular person, show an interest in them. Expressing interest in others and making others feel important and makes you way more likable than the guy who always wants to talk about himself.
5. Don’t ever violate “Girl Code”! The bonds of friendship/sisters are as strong as you choose to make them.
6. Each day perform a random act of kindness.
7. Trust your instincts. Go with your gut. If it feels right, run with it. If it feels like trouble, RUN!
8. ALWAYS leap with faith.
9. Be honest with yourself. It's the only way to be honest with others
10. Let passion drive you to work hard to achieve your dreams. Don’t let anyone/anything stand in your way but be honest and fair.
11. Clean your room, make your bed every morning and pull the shades up to let the sunshine in.
12. Boys are stupid. They need boundaries. It order to keep them educated, set boundaries from the very beginning and set them firmly.
13. Pray for the boys.
14. You can either fall or you can fly…FLY!
15. Stop. Look. Listen. Evaluate. If you let life take charge, things begin to spiral out of control. Take charge of your life.
16. Always introduce yourself if someone doesn't. Shake their hand and shake it firmly.
17. Travel. Study abroad.
18. Call your grandparents once a week. It makes their day and usually creates a knee-jerk urge to send money.
19. If you start it, finish it.
20. Remember that your experiences don’t define you but help you evolve into who you become. Whether you enjoyed an experience or not, chalk it up as just that. It will come up in conversation at some point in your life. The more experience you have the more interesting you are.
21. Choose your voice over your fingers. Meet up or call someone instead of texting.
22. Make your own list of wisdom throughout your college experience. As you reflect back over the years, you won’t believe your incredible transformation but may understand how you got there.
23. You are only as credible as your last credit score. Start building your credit now. Learn about the benefits of a good credit score as opposed to a bad one.
24. “I love you to the moon and back!” And I appreciate you as much as you do me.
25. Be as impactful as the comet that you were named after. Turn towards the Sun, let the Solar winds push you and exemplify the beautiful trail of qualities that God has given you. Mesmerize others AND don’t forget to call your mother!
We trudged through a Nor’ Easter on the LIE, heading West towards the city in order to check in to NYU Medical Center. Hailey, still in my belly was causing a decent amount of physical pain combined with the emotional torture of “just letting you know I’m in here, but I’m not sure if I am ready to come out.” Thirty-six hours later, it really was “go time” with an emergency C-Section (prayer answered!). And there she was, Hailey Elizabeth Wilson, named after Halley’s comet.
Now I didn’t study as much as I should have in high school but I did learn that Halley's Comet is arguably the most famous comet…“A "periodic" comet that returns to Earth about every 75 years, making it possible for it to be seen twice in a lifetime.” (http://www.space.com/19878-halleys-comet.html) Comets are the largest objects in our Solar System and have tails that can extend millions of miles into space.
The inside of the comet is made up of frozen particles but as the comet moves closer to the Sun, the heat from the Sun turns the outer ice into gas and the solid particles are released as dust as solar winds push it away which causes it to form the beautiful light show seen from Earth. (http://www.kidseclipse.com/pages/a1b3c0d3.htm)
The last time it was here was in 1986, (the year I graduated from high school) and it is projected to return in 2061. I remember the news and the sight of it all having a big impact on me and had declared then that my first born would be named after the infamous comet. Hailey, since the moment of conception has really exemplified the beautiful qualities of the mesmerizing trail of a comet.
Fast forward, eighteen years…
Today, we are packing the car for College. Bittersweet to say the least. What was once the most dreaded time of year between fighting for school supplies, spending $200 on a stupid calculator and watching my checks from my check book vanish as I write fifteen different $5 checks to the school for who knows what, I found myself nostalgic and weepy this week as I walked through what once was the most dreaded time of the year.
Awakened early by the need to write, I have reflected on the collection of teachings which I hope that I have instilled in my kids over the years. I have a few that especially apply during college years. Number one and twenty five should be a constant…
1. Start your day with a prayer.
2. If you don’t have some level of fear, be very afraid. Change is scary yet can be so exciting at the same time. Embrace it!
3. Don’t judge others as you don’t know what circumstances they have encountered or endured in their lifetime. Everybody has a story. Listen to it as it will reveal more than you know. However, assess words vs. actions. Actions of others will be your barometer so set your boundaries based on your reading.
4. When you find yourself nervous and insecure around a particular person, show an interest in them. Expressing interest in others and making others feel important and makes you way more likable than the guy who always wants to talk about himself.
5. Don’t ever violate “Girl Code”! The bonds of friendship/sisters are as strong as you choose to make them.
6. Each day perform a random act of kindness.
7. Trust your instincts. Go with your gut. If it feels right, run with it. If it feels like trouble, RUN!
8. ALWAYS leap with faith.
9. Be honest with yourself. It's the only way to be honest with others
10. Let passion drive you to work hard to achieve your dreams. Don’t let anyone/anything stand in your way but be honest and fair.
11. Clean your room, make your bed every morning and pull the shades up to let the sunshine in.
12. Boys are stupid. They need boundaries. It order to keep them educated, set boundaries from the very beginning and set them firmly.
13. Pray for the boys.
14. You can either fall or you can fly…FLY!
15. Stop. Look. Listen. Evaluate. If you let life take charge, things begin to spiral out of control. Take charge of your life.
16. Always introduce yourself if someone doesn't. Shake their hand and shake it firmly.
17. Travel. Study abroad.
18. Call your grandparents once a week. It makes their day and usually creates a knee-jerk urge to send money.
19. If you start it, finish it.
20. Remember that your experiences don’t define you but help you evolve into who you become. Whether you enjoyed an experience or not, chalk it up as just that. It will come up in conversation at some point in your life. The more experience you have the more interesting you are.
21. Choose your voice over your fingers. Meet up or call someone instead of texting.
22. Make your own list of wisdom throughout your college experience. As you reflect back over the years, you won’t believe your incredible transformation but may understand how you got there.
23. You are only as credible as your last credit score. Start building your credit now. Learn about the benefits of a good credit score as opposed to a bad one.
24. “I love you to the moon and back!” And I appreciate you as much as you do me.
25. Be as impactful as the comet that you were named after. Turn towards the Sun, let the Solar winds push you and exemplify the beautiful trail of qualities that God has given you. Mesmerize others AND don’t forget to call your mother!
It's "go time" again!
