OT - Just Had to Post This

[cohenzone]

I like to keep my private life off these boards, but I had to write about some really exciting news for our family. About a year ago, my wife and I took in a 16 year old nephew who had been through some very rough times, mostly, but not entirely, of his own doing. Lots of bad stuff had happened in his family that sent him in the wrong direction. Before his troubled time, he had been an athletic, academically strong, and quite musical kid. It was not clear what direction he would head at the time he came into our home, and it had been 18 years since the last of our 3 boys had gone off to college and on to independent lives.

Through a of effort, rewarding, counseling and give and take on everyone's part, he began turning it around and has been doing outstanding school work for this, his senior year in some challenging courses. He has had to take on extra course loads so that he can graduate on time and with all of his college prerequisites in place. He has made some nice friends, his teachers love him and view him to be a leader. (He's also quite handsome and girls go nuts for him). He now has a positive view of himself and his relationship with his nuclear family is substantially improved. That alone had been great to see.

The very exciting news I wanted to relate is that we found out today that he has been admitted on early decision to his first choice university, a very fine school in the NY area, and has been offered a significant academic scholarship to boot. While his future success can't be assumed (whose is?) , when it's understood what the really bad outcomes seemed to be just 12 months ago, it's breathtaking to witness his turnaround and this college acceptance is helping to make a terrific success story.

 

[Suebird10fan]

that's great CZ!!! Congratulations to you and your nephew!

 

[HuskyNan]

What a great story. Love, patience and understanding all came through in all three paragraphs. Kudos to you, your wife, and your nephew for all your hard work.

I love to hear about stories like this. Very positive and very uplifting.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

Hope. It is a story redolent with hope.

Thanks

 

[FairView]

Congratulations to you and to him.
You have helped fashion a change that will affect him and his kids, and their kids .....

Thanks for sharing the story ... it's great to hear a success like this.

 

[terif831]

Thank you for sharing that. And, thank you for opening your home and your heart to give that young man the chance to see that another, better way is possible.

 

[UConnMike04]

Great to hear! Thought you were going to say he was headed to Syracuse for a minute, but then realized you said "fine NY institution"! All joking aside, great news!

 

[Kibitzer]

That boy has been blessed. So have Boneyarders who were treated to such an uplifting story rather than yet another discussion about Tiffany's inconsistency.

 

[Icebear]

Awesome news, CZ, congratulations.

 

[cohenzone]

"Great to hear! Thought you were going to say he was headed to Syracuse for a minute, but then realized you said "fine NY institution"! All joking aside, great news!"

Careful there, one of my boys is a prof. at the SUNY college of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) which is physically located right next to the Carrier Dome. Close enough to breathe the Orange fumes rising above the dome. (I actually spent 2 summer weeks at SU Law way back when , pre-Dome , to date myself.) But the university my nephew is likely to attend is, more precisely, in the greater NYC area, and it isn't Rutgers or any other BE school, although with conference expansion, who knows what tomorrow will bring.

 

[Fishy]

A wonderful story.

Can I have a dollar if I guess the school?

 

[Dairyair]

Great story on a day when a lot of us are fretting over the loss to Baylor. Continued success, CZ!

 

[cohenzone]

"Can I have a dollar if I guess the school?"

Tell you what, you can make a list of 5 schools and I'll tell you if it might be one of them. Made the buck a lot easier to come by. Hint - It is probably not The New School. I'm way too generous.

 

[LIB MR BEARS]

Cohenzone, that is great to hear!

My wife and I had a similar experience with a neice and nephew down here in Waco. It seemed that everytime the stress was getting to a point that we thought we'd have to give up, along would come a story like yours.

Don't just take pride in knowing that y'all made a positive change in his life. Also know that there is a good chance that, as you share your story, there's probably someone reading it who was ready to give up but now they will carry on for one more day or week or month until they get the next little push to keep them going.

Y'all didn't impact one life. Y'all have impacted lives you will never know about.

Again, great job!!!

 

[cohenzone]

"Cohenzone, that is great to hear!

My wife and I had a similar experience with a neice and nephew down here in Waco. It seemed that everytime the stress was getting to a point that we thought we'd have to give up, along would come a story like yours.

Don't just take pride in knowing that y'all made a positive change in his life. Also know that there is a good chance that, as you share your story, there's probably someone reading it who was ready to give up but now they will carry on for one more day or week or month until they get the next little push to keep them going.

Y'all didn't impact one life. Y'all have impacted lives you will never know about.

Again, great job!!!"

Thanks. As you know, these sorts of situations rarely resolve in a straight line, although I think my nephew was ready for a variety of reasons. The bad thing about young people is that they are young. It's also one of the main reasons to be optimistic.

BTW, years ago one of my co-workers up here in CT was a transplanted Baylor Bear. Hr loved those Bears. (you might have noticed that the Boneyard includes a number of bears and bear lovers.) I will say that he didn't quite have the nose for fashion that your coach has, but he was a very nice, tall Texan.