For the past 6 years my mother has been living a double life. Well, not really a double life so much as two lives crammed into the amount of time it would take the rest of us to live just one. For the majority of the past six years my mother has been working a full time job, driving three hours to Boston every week for an excruciatingly long day or two of classes and then coming home to read hundreds of books, write hundreds of papers and do the rest of those little things people need to do like mow the lawn (or shovel the driveway), do the laundry, eat and sleep. Somehow through all of it she has managed to find time to spend with our family, host sleepover weekends with her adorable granddaughter and watch our pup whenever Mike and I are out of town. If there was an award for multitasking, my mom would most definitely win.

Hundreds of books, papers, cups of coffee and chocolate espresso beans later, my mother can finally take a breath and live the one life that she has been working so hard for.

Two weeks ago our family and friends converged in Newton, MA to attend my mother's graduation. I cannot express the amount of pride and joy I felt as I watched my mom climb the steps to receive her masters hood and diploma. She has supported my brother and I through everything we have been through over the years; lending support, giving advice, visiting us in the far away places we have lived and worked, and mothering like a champ. This time we were able to be there to support her as she took her final step toward a whole new chapter of her life. 

Cheers to my mom, her newly earned master's degree, and to all of the other parents and grandparents out there who are constantly working to better themselves and the world around them. 

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