03/29/2008

Never has a date looked so inviting. Never have I waited with bated breath for something so much. Perhaps Chip’s arrival would be the only other thing I can think of. On the little fabric board next to my desk at work is a piece of paper. A calendar actually. With some dates blacked out. Mostly weekends, some whole weeks. For almost two years I have stared at this bit of paper, my eyes transfixed on this one date. March 29, 2008. And not just because it was the day BigGeek turned 34 (Happy Birthday, honey). But because he’s done. With his MBA classes. All done. Finished. Finito. I had saved writing this post for the day he actually graduated. Which is the middle of May. But I can’t contain myself. I am happy and relieved and teary and many other things.

What started as a 22 month executive program in one of the nation’s top Universities was not unsurprisingly, a grueling boot camp with a workload demanding enough to make the most dedicated student break out in sweat. With a demanding job, a demanding toddler, a demanding health and a wife who was not exactly an understanding one, not 24/7 at any rate, and other demanding issues too personal to mention here, he did it. I have always called him fondly as my Rock of Gibraltar, never thinking or rather never hoping his mettle would be tested thusly as it has been in the past two years. And for that he deserves more than an MBA degree.

When BigGeek was accepted at this school and started his classes on June 21, 2006, Chip had barely started to walk. Two years seemed like a long way ahead. “By the time BigGeek graduates, Chip would have started to talk.” I would often say to myself in awe. It seemed like such a long two years then. And in some ways, they were. What started as a minor inconveniences – loosing BigGeek on some weekends and then slowly on most weekday evenings, became one trying game of jugglery. It’s hard to sandwich a life and a job between study group meetings, zillions of cases to read, assignments, online lessons, on grounds sessions day after day without a break. It was hard work. Really, really hard work and while he enjoyed the classes and shared the camaraderie of his classmates, he had no respite. He is relieved now, as his weekday evenings and weekends look enticingly empty, but there is going to be a part of him that misses the carefree time he had when he was on-grounds at school.

The last month had been a fitting finale to our crazy lives. BigGeek left for India on a business trip on Feb.14, got back on Feb 26, went to school Feb 29 to March 1. Chip and I left for India on March 1, BigGeek left for China on March 4, he got back home on March 15, Chip and I got back home on March 19, he went back to school from March 23-29. I am sure I lost you all somewhere in mid-March. But all that is history and thankfully so. As I made breakfast this morning, I felt a sense of lightness and relief I haven’t felt in a long time. I don’t know if good tidings will come our way this year, I certainly pray and wish they do, but we have one happy graduate-to-be amongst us. And that is good enough for me.