Never Too Late To Learn
by Nelly2.0 | July 8, 2010 at 4:40 AM
Recently, I took a weekend off to visit my Mom. She had been fussing because I had not visited in a while so I took a break from work and made the six-hour journey by road to see her.
The weekend turned out to be very relaxing for both of us. While I was there, I saw some old family photos and some new ones on the wall. Some group of photos particularly struck me. These photos were of my mother getting her first degree.
Mom is a teacher. She always says that my father had never encouraged her in any way to move forward in her career. Sometime after my father died, she did something she had always wanted to do: she decided to go back to school and get a first degree.
My brother, sister and I were supportive of her decision. Several times, she would tell me how difficult it was for her to manage work and school, but she never once felt like giving up. After three years, she obtained her first degree with honours. She was fifty-two years old. That was in 2009.
When I stood in her sitting room and looked at a photo of her in her graduation robe, I was so proud of her. I was also inspired by her strenghth. She had braved so many challenges and difficulties. Eight hours of work in the morning and four more hours of classes in the evening, full day classes on weekends, sharing a bench with people thirty years younger than she was. Many people thought she was foolish to do what she did, they thought it was a waste of money and time, and that she will never make it. She proved them wrong. I also noticed that she was so much happier with herself for achieving this and felt she could do anything. She felt empowered.
It is never to late to persue your dream. It is never too late to do what you always wanted to do. I hope my Mom's story can be an inspiration to any woman who may think it is too late for her to follow her dream, or impossible for her to take that next step.
Comments
See my women
Do you now see why I love supporting women? They are strong, determined, intelligent and goal getter, if we ever give them the opportunity.
Ride on graduate mama.....
Olutosin Oladosu Adebowale (Prevent Child Sexual Assault)
Founder/Project Coordinator
Star of Hope Transformation Centre
512 Road
F Close
Festac Town
Lagos-Nigeria
https://www.facebook.com/olutosin?ref=tn_tnmn#!/olutosin
Tell me about it!
Hi Olutosin,
you've called my mom just like we do "graduate mama". I am so proud of her - strong, determined, intelligent and goal getter - that's Mom. Spread the story, hope it can inspire a woman somewhere!
An inspiring and beautiful
An inspiring and beautiful story. You should be proud of your mom for not only going back to school but for being brave, confident, and acknowledging her self worth through that of education. She is such a great role model, where many mothers don't have the courage to go back to school. Thanks for sharing this inspiring story.
With friendship,
Carri Pence
thanks!
Thanks a lot Carri, I am proud of Mom for all those reasons and more.
Education is a truly a force to reckon with and can empower in so many ways. I just hope that after reading this story, somebody may be inspired enough to get up and go enroll in a school.
Inspiring!
Hello! This is my first time visiting your journal. What an inspiring story!! Mothers are such a special part of our lives. I am glad that you are proud of and inspired by yours!
Much Peace and Love,
Sharese
Thanks
I am really happy to know that you find the story inspiring. I hope you keep visiting my journal and telling me what you think
cheers,
Nelly
So inspiring
Your Mom rocks! What a great role model for other women doubting their ability to continue learning later in life, and wanting to take a leap into a new area. You must all be so proud of her.