This evening, we moved Mark into his dorm at UCLA. He will be living in the Hitch complex. He had lots of help moving in, as Kurry, DY, Will and Josh not only came over to help Mark pack, but made the drive over to Westwood to make sure Mark got settled. And since they are all at PCC right now, I am sure they were savoring the foretaste of what four-year university life must be like. To the left is a picture of the boys helping carry all of Mark's stuff to his dorm room. There was not much stuff, it seemed to me. The large box held Mark's specially made UCLA bed sheets to accommodate his extra long bunk bed.
The move-in seemed rather painless. My guess is that UCLA has orchestrated different move-in times for different people, rather than everyone showing up on campus at the same time. It worked really well from what we saw. I was expecting crowds and long lines, and we experienced none of that.
To the right is a picture of the boys hanging around the table in the common are of
Mark's dorm suite. From the left are Josh, Kurry, DY (Dustin), and Will. There are two bedrooms with three beds each, one shower, and one toilet. It seems a little crowded to me, but what do I know about dorm life in the 21st century?
After moving Mark in, we helped his friend, Kelly, move into her dorm, which is in the same complex, but a different building. The girls' dorm rooms seemed more spacious, as there are only two beds per room rather than three per room with the guys. The boys eagerly helped Kelly with all her stuff, and Kelly's parents were pleased.
Mark has two roommates, who had already moved in. They were not there to greet Mark. We would have liked to meet them. We saw that the Xbox 360 was already set up, and that each roommate had a computer printer, which Mark did not bring. The common room seemed spacious enough, until one thinks of six college guys sharing that area.
The picture to the right is the obligatory family picture. All smiles on the outside, but mixed emotions on the inside.
I am very proud of Mark for choosing UCLA, and for being accepted, which was no small feat. And yet, I miss him terribly. And I have dreaded this day coming all year.
I have inwardly resisted the changes I have known were coming all year. The senior year of high school is a transition year, where the senior is often spending much more time with friends than family.
So I knew this day would come, I just wish it had not been this soon. Well, how soon should it come? After all, Mark has been with us for 18 years. Just a while longer, my heart seems to say.
The house is not empty tonight, with Beth and Rachel and the dogs here. It just feels empty. Mark is gone, though not too far away. And his friends are gone, though their cars remain parked out front until they decide enough of faux college life and come home to claim them tonight.
And while my heart is full of gratitude to God for my son, I mourn that h
e is growing up so fast. I will miss playing Legos together. I will miss the video games and the movies together. I will miss watching his sporting events. I will miss our regular banter: "Cut your hair. Pull up your pants. Clean your room. Get a job." "OK, dad." I will miss the goofy smile. So much left to say! So much left to do together.
UCLA seems so big. The world is open with huge possibilities for Mark. Is he ready? Have we prepared him enough? Have we prayed enough for him? I will remedy that every morning with extra fervor now that he is there! Have we taught him enough? He has a good heart, and a solid character. But will that heart and character withstand the tests and temptations of college life?
When I went away to school at UC Davis, I was lost, and wounded, and scared. I knew college was where I should be, but had no idea why I was there. Mark has a more solid understanding of who he is, and his purpose in the world. And he is grounded in the love of his family and friends, and the love of God. He is secure in knowing what I have always wrestled to accept.
I love you, son, and I miss you already. And I look forward to the days when you will come home and we will chat about your adventures at college. I look forward to visiting you on campus and going to that ice cream place everyone brags about in Westwood.
I want you to know that you are deeply loved, no matter what happens.
I want you to know that you belong securely to Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior. And that he stands ready to help you in any situation.
I want you to find a Christian fellowship (Inter Varsity?) or a church to regularly attend, and become active in.
I want you to enjoy your classes, to work hard at learning, to take every opportunity to learn from friends and professors, and the activities available at the campus.
Take time to get away from AIM, text messaging, and the XBox 360, to enjoy this world that God created. Go for a walk through the beautiful campus, not because you have somewhere to go, but because it is beautiful. Breathe in the fresh air. Let your sighs be praises to God for your life.
May you discover something new every day, something for the head and the heart.
Make friends. Lots of them. Enjoy their company. Encourage them. Make them laugh. Comfort them when they are down. In your own way, be an influence among them.
Write or call once a week, and come home once in a while. We'd like to see the progress in how God is making you into the fine young man you are becoming.
Cherish these early days in college. You will never have them again. Store the sights and sounds and smells deep within your memory.
Did I say that I love you, son? Probably not nearly enough. We Stochl men have hard times expressing our emotions, dontchaknow?
I love you, son.
