Em at the Duckpond
On graduation day, Graudation was early so there was a lot of daytime left to do things. Dad, Emily and I walked around “town” (Blacksburg)- Dad got a haircut at Emily’s suggestion and Emily bought a necklace that we said we would share- I would wear it when Emily got tired of it. Then we were all going to go for a nap. Emily said “it is just too beautiful of a day to waste” so Emily said to me “let’s go to the Duck Pond.” I responded how far is it... -as I was longing for a nap but Emily was so excited I agreed. Emily had pity on me and drove me to it.
At the Duck Pond, Emily was very talkative. She told me that thru her fraternity she had come to know the duck pond well- since one of Emily’s philanthropic jobs was to clean it. Emily had gone in with waders and it was sometimes disgusting but Emily loved the pond. She also said that she had studied by it with friends and walked it many a time to think. We sat in the Gazebo and talked about many things.
Emily was so proud of her accomplishments. She talked about her role in the fraternity and how even though she had never taken a major position she felt that she had contributed so much. Thru the fraternity, she said she had grown so much. Not only did she do great community projects and develop great friendships but she experienced new adventures. She was proud that one of the community projects was the Relay for Life that was mentioned in the graduation speech. She told me that she had increased the amount raised this year significantly so that it now was a big feature in the fraternity and that 2 younger brothers were interested in running it next year. She talked about the tutoring that she had helped coordinate, the fundraiser for a brother who had died as a student and how she looked up his obituary and went to the grave to get information to get people interested in fund raising for it. As far as the new adventures, she talked about how the fraternity provided her with the opportunity to go sky diving and mountain climbing- (to which I added “I am not so sure I am glad about that”- and Emily just laughed and said it was such a great experience and she never would have done it if it wasn’t for her fraternity brothers support).
Emily said I know that I made 2 great decisions- choosing Tech and joining Phi Sigma Pi. “I just love it here- it is so beautiful and I love everyone in the fraternity – it has been so special. It has helped me become who I am. I have worked very hard, I mean really hard. She said you would be so proud Mom because everyone tells me about the good jobs I did.” I told her that I was bursting with pride and love for her because she was so special and how lucky I was to have 2 such great kids and of course I cried a little. Emily talked about how even though she couldn’t be a member of the fraternity next year as a grad student that she was going to “seriously” help them with all their activities. She added how proud she was of her Little and Grand-little and how she was going to help them so much.
Emily also talked about Katie and her engagement. She spoke of how much she liked Joe and how good Katie and Joe were together. She was so happy for her and proud of Katie and her work. She was worried that Katie was being too specific about wanting a clear crisp Autumn Day and golden rose dresses for the bridesmaids- “I love these things too but I worry that Katie will be disappointed if it doesn’t happen exactly that way- I am going to have to help her with that…”
Then she said, “It’s strange, Katie is only 3 ½ years older than me and I can’t imagine myself getting engaged or married.” I assured Emily that “it was normal to not be able to see what was going to happen or when- you just have to go with the flow- it will happen if and when it is right.” But Emily was very serious about this- she added “I really can’t imagine this ever happening- it is so strange…”
Emily talked about her plans to travel as much as possible- “maybe I can get a job with Ferminich- I can check that out from Lugano. Then I can work in Princeton, Switzerland and Singapore.” On Sunday night she looked up all kinds of facts about Singapore- the life expectancy, male/female ratio, climate, etc. She wasn’t sure if she was more interested in social marketing or business marketing and she was looking forward to the courses to help with that- and maybe even staying on in Lugano for her doctorate.
Emily talked about being excited about spending the Summer in Blacksburg for the first time- how she and Megan were going to try all new hiking paths. I think I have found my niche in Marketing but I don’t want to just do what I did last summer- I want to be in charge of projects and develop the plans. I think I have a real sense of what works and what doesn’t. It is exciting. But I love social marketing because you can really make a difference.” She was glad that she was going home for a week and hoped to see all her friends (the girls, Will, Burke, etc…) before she returned to school.
Emily talked about going back to the DR (Dominican Republic) and how special the kids are there- “Maybe I will adopt some someday.” Emily added that she was very serious about this- “Mom, you should go, it is amazing how happy they are with so little.” Emily talked about how community service was so important to her- “You have to give back- I have been so fortunate to be brought up the way I was.”
I am so thankful for this hour or so that I spent with Emily- I feel it was a gift. How many people get to do a life review with their child the day before they die? Emily was so serious and really trying to reflect on everything- I am overwhelmed with how special this moment was.
That night we went out to dinner at a Japanese Steak House that Emily had picked. When we picked her up I was stunned at how beautiful she looked- she was very dressed up in a beautiful blue strapless dress and her special coat from Switzerland. I thought perhaps she was overdressed for our dinner- but she looked like a princess and was very confident and proud. When we ate at the hibachi table, Katie and Em decided that the waiter looked like Ryan Seacrest from American Idol- he was thrilled. There were 2 other guys sitting at our table- I don’t think Em even realized that they were flirting with her but when she got up to go to the ladies room, she walked in front of the table instead of behind and I watched as they nearly fell out of their chair as she past. Em, Katie and Joe were going out to the clubs after dinner and she said no when I asked her if she was going to change. I indicated that she might be overdressed and she said that’s OK I love attention.
On Sunday, we all went to breakfast. Joe and Katie went back to NC and Em joined MB, Dad and I in the car for the 8 hour ride. MB sat in the front with me so Dad and Em were able to talk all the way back. When we stopped at Cracker Barrel, Em pulled her hood up over her hair because she had not combed or straightened it when she washed it in the AM and it was all “froey” as she said.
When we got home, Em was still hungry- she made a little mac and cheese and was still hungry so she ate an apple and then made some popcorn and told me I didn’t have enough snack foods in the house but "at least you have raspberry Snapple"- we need to shop tomorrow. She looked thru the supermarket flyers to make a shopping list so that she could cook and said she was getting into fish and wanted to learn how to cook some. She said I hope Yaya makes Avgolemono Soup and teaches her to make it and I hope we get an invite to the Giordano’s for some good Italian food. She then watched a downloaded episode of Lost.
These are some of the last moments that I had with Emily....
MOM
At the Duck Pond, Emily was very talkative. She told me that thru her fraternity she had come to know the duck pond well- since one of Emily’s philanthropic jobs was to clean it. Emily had gone in with waders and it was sometimes disgusting but Emily loved the pond. She also said that she had studied by it with friends and walked it many a time to think. We sat in the Gazebo and talked about many things.
Emily was so proud of her accomplishments. She talked about her role in the fraternity and how even though she had never taken a major position she felt that she had contributed so much. Thru the fraternity, she said she had grown so much. Not only did she do great community projects and develop great friendships but she experienced new adventures. She was proud that one of the community projects was the Relay for Life that was mentioned in the graduation speech. She told me that she had increased the amount raised this year significantly so that it now was a big feature in the fraternity and that 2 younger brothers were interested in running it next year. She talked about the tutoring that she had helped coordinate, the fundraiser for a brother who had died as a student and how she looked up his obituary and went to the grave to get information to get people interested in fund raising for it. As far as the new adventures, she talked about how the fraternity provided her with the opportunity to go sky diving and mountain climbing- (to which I added “I am not so sure I am glad about that”- and Emily just laughed and said it was such a great experience and she never would have done it if it wasn’t for her fraternity brothers support).
Emily said I know that I made 2 great decisions- choosing Tech and joining Phi Sigma Pi. “I just love it here- it is so beautiful and I love everyone in the fraternity – it has been so special. It has helped me become who I am. I have worked very hard, I mean really hard. She said you would be so proud Mom because everyone tells me about the good jobs I did.” I told her that I was bursting with pride and love for her because she was so special and how lucky I was to have 2 such great kids and of course I cried a little. Emily talked about how even though she couldn’t be a member of the fraternity next year as a grad student that she was going to “seriously” help them with all their activities. She added how proud she was of her Little and Grand-little and how she was going to help them so much.
Emily also talked about Katie and her engagement. She spoke of how much she liked Joe and how good Katie and Joe were together. She was so happy for her and proud of Katie and her work. She was worried that Katie was being too specific about wanting a clear crisp Autumn Day and golden rose dresses for the bridesmaids- “I love these things too but I worry that Katie will be disappointed if it doesn’t happen exactly that way- I am going to have to help her with that…”
Then she said, “It’s strange, Katie is only 3 ½ years older than me and I can’t imagine myself getting engaged or married.” I assured Emily that “it was normal to not be able to see what was going to happen or when- you just have to go with the flow- it will happen if and when it is right.” But Emily was very serious about this- she added “I really can’t imagine this ever happening- it is so strange…”
Emily talked about her plans to travel as much as possible- “maybe I can get a job with Ferminich- I can check that out from Lugano. Then I can work in Princeton, Switzerland and Singapore.” On Sunday night she looked up all kinds of facts about Singapore- the life expectancy, male/female ratio, climate, etc. She wasn’t sure if she was more interested in social marketing or business marketing and she was looking forward to the courses to help with that- and maybe even staying on in Lugano for her doctorate.
Emily talked about being excited about spending the Summer in Blacksburg for the first time- how she and Megan were going to try all new hiking paths. I think I have found my niche in Marketing but I don’t want to just do what I did last summer- I want to be in charge of projects and develop the plans. I think I have a real sense of what works and what doesn’t. It is exciting. But I love social marketing because you can really make a difference.” She was glad that she was going home for a week and hoped to see all her friends (the girls, Will, Burke, etc…) before she returned to school.
Emily talked about going back to the DR (Dominican Republic) and how special the kids are there- “Maybe I will adopt some someday.” Emily added that she was very serious about this- “Mom, you should go, it is amazing how happy they are with so little.” Emily talked about how community service was so important to her- “You have to give back- I have been so fortunate to be brought up the way I was.”
I am so thankful for this hour or so that I spent with Emily- I feel it was a gift. How many people get to do a life review with their child the day before they die? Emily was so serious and really trying to reflect on everything- I am overwhelmed with how special this moment was.
That night we went out to dinner at a Japanese Steak House that Emily had picked. When we picked her up I was stunned at how beautiful she looked- she was very dressed up in a beautiful blue strapless dress and her special coat from Switzerland. I thought perhaps she was overdressed for our dinner- but she looked like a princess and was very confident and proud. When we ate at the hibachi table, Katie and Em decided that the waiter looked like Ryan Seacrest from American Idol- he was thrilled. There were 2 other guys sitting at our table- I don’t think Em even realized that they were flirting with her but when she got up to go to the ladies room, she walked in front of the table instead of behind and I watched as they nearly fell out of their chair as she past. Em, Katie and Joe were going out to the clubs after dinner and she said no when I asked her if she was going to change. I indicated that she might be overdressed and she said that’s OK I love attention.
On Sunday, we all went to breakfast. Joe and Katie went back to NC and Em joined MB, Dad and I in the car for the 8 hour ride. MB sat in the front with me so Dad and Em were able to talk all the way back. When we stopped at Cracker Barrel, Em pulled her hood up over her hair because she had not combed or straightened it when she washed it in the AM and it was all “froey” as she said.
When we got home, Em was still hungry- she made a little mac and cheese and was still hungry so she ate an apple and then made some popcorn and told me I didn’t have enough snack foods in the house but "at least you have raspberry Snapple"- we need to shop tomorrow. She looked thru the supermarket flyers to make a shopping list so that she could cook and said she was getting into fish and wanted to learn how to cook some. She said I hope Yaya makes Avgolemono Soup and teaches her to make it and I hope we get an invite to the Giordano’s for some good Italian food. She then watched a downloaded episode of Lost.
These are some of the last moments that I had with Emily....
MOM
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