My daughter has just telephoned me from New Zealand to say my 19-year old GD has been awarded a thousand dollar scholarship for her nursing degree fees. Her Head of Nursing gave her a recommendation that was unbelievably flattering - she said GD would go right to the top of nursing and must not be allowed to leave. She intends to finish her degree and work in nursing for a few years, but she will probably then take a post-grad medicine course. She won't end up with any debts - she is a very hard worker and within a week of arriving at their new house she had found work at the local supermarket and she is able to fit her shifts around her studies. Her fiance moved out to live with them last year and he has got himself a job as a personal trainer at a gym in Nelson, so they are able to support themselves. They met at school and have been together since they were 15 and are perfectly suited. My daughter is so happy with their new life - she is now Events Organiser for the local Riding for the Disabled, and the chairwoman has asked her to help exercise her horses on her huge stud farm. They are living very largely off their own produce - they have had to buy two large chest freezers and she is about to get two sheep to add to the pigs and hens.
Congratulations!! All I can say is that these clever DDs must have inherited it from somewhere? Our middle DD made us very proud with her wonderful design for the new production of As You Like It at the RST Stratford and has just had similar 4* reviews for her Dancing at Lughnasa at The Royal, Northampton. [modest mum]emoticon
Just heard that my lovely DD2 has passed her final GP exams, even managing 100% on one paper....so fingers up to her awful, male Maths teacher who greeted us, cruelly, one parents' evening with : 'oh dear, she's not like your others is she?'
Greatnan If only my grand-daughter could be my personal carer [when I finally stop functioning on all cylinders]...she, like your grand-daughter, is a treasure. My grand-daughter plays the flute. She really doesn't need any "props" to be entertaining because her kind nature and enthusiasm for life, is infectious. When at school, she instigated an anti-bullying campaign. She was brilliant at mediating...as you can tell, I'm dead proud of her.
Snap, Soop! My grand-daughter has just finished the second year of her nursing degree in Nelson, New Zealand and she has supported herself by working in an old people's home. She loves it so much she is seriously considering specialising in geriatric care. She is a good pianist and the people in the home love it when they have a singsong round the piano. I have told her she is booked to be my carer if I ever need one!
Thank you for your kind thoughts, Speki. I am afraid my daughter's mental health is not likely to improve as she has no intention of giving up her drug abuse. We have not had an argument, as this suggests that both parties are involved. I have never shown her the least hostility by word or deed - not even any criticism of the way she is treating me.
May I share the latest good news from our lovely granddaughter who is reading psychology at Bristol uni'. She has a new job as a Care Assistant at a home for disabled adults. She needs 100 hours experience as part of her course. Helping disabled people to enjoy a better quality of life, is what she set her heart on doing from her early teens. She is one of the kindest and most understanding young women that we know. Added to which, being in her company is like basking in the warmth of sunshine. I shall look out a photo of her. A little later, I shall add it to the album.
Greatnan you can't win em all..you all appear to me such a positive family group and you must be so proud to have played a part in generating so much shared love and achievement. There will always be offspring who blame their parents for all their ills - my DH has a habit of sitting on his hands bewailing lost opportunities back in the 60s when he was dominated by his narrow minded negative (religiously fanatical) parents. He is now nearly 70 and has achieved much, but it is his parents he blames for not achieving more! Its crazy. Your daughter is alive and lets hope she will one day see that she played a huge part in your rupture and that she could have met you half way to make your relationship work.
Wow!I knew you would come up with something Ele.No doubt soop has disappeared for the night now .I can't do anything because I am going to Sicily in the morning. I shall be back in a week and hope to see lots of hats on display