20. Good News to Share with My Parents, Finally

How is it already September?! And an essay about finally having good news to share with my loving parents

Waffle was right at home this week at Harvard. Seeing her back at work and loving it brings even more joy to these trips to Boston.

Hello, Beautiful Human, and hello, September! 

I’m honestly struggling to wrap my head around fall being just around the corner but here we are. Time certainly flies.

This past week was packed with all sorts of exciting work and a visit to Harvard. I am unable to share details on all the things I am working on with the team at Harvard just yet, but I am so excited to do so soon. I have another happy chapter for you this week. I decided to keep it short and sweet. With this long weekend ahead of us, I wanted us all to head towards it with brighter moods.

Wishing you a weekend – the exact weekend you want it to be.

With love.

Kindly,

Kate

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20. Good News to Share, Finally

After dancing my way out of the hospital, I headed home to my parent’s house to share the news and pack my bags. It was time for me to return to my apartment. This was a new era — my era — and I was hell-bent on beginning it as an independent adult.

I packed in a flurry of excitement but before my parents came home, the events of the day caught up to me and what I had planned to be a momentary pause sitting on my bed instead turned into a three-hour nap. When I finally woke up, it was dark and I rolled over to see my dad sitting beside my bed, book in hand, his face consumed with fear. I puzzled at his expression for a moment — nervous about what terrible news could land my father here in sober silence after the excitement of the day. Only after stretching away my grogginess and hearing his relief by saying, “You’re awake!” did I realize that he did not yet know: — I had a job.

I shared the wonderful news with glee, bedhead, and a slathering of drool crusted to my left cheek. It was the least ceremonious delivery anyone could imagine but the immediate shift in my dad’s demeanor — one to bright joy and true pride filled the dark room with light. He marveled at me and the wonderful news for a second and then, in the most unexpected of ways, burst out laughing. I was wholly confused by his full-body laugh, a laugh that we rarely saw,  but he quickly explained, mid-chuckle that ‘of course I was tired — so exhausted that I slept through dinner and that he was deeply glad that his fears that I had slept through the interview and day in their entirety were for not.’

He yelled to my mom to join us and moved to my bedside to give me a massive hug and when my mom walked in and witnessed us, mid-laughter and hug, she burst into happy tears. It was everything I had ever wanted to give them - good news, pride, and deep relief. It was also the exact opposite of how I had imagined sharing the news. I had planned to cook them dinner and shock them with my ability to be an actual adult — an actual family contributor — an actual human being. But it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter at all. Because they were happy and I was happy. And at least for that moment, we could hold onto that joy believing it was all that my future would hold.

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In case you missed it

I recorded an episode about relationships and mental illness for paid subscribers last week:

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That’s it from us this week.

Sending so much love and snuggles from these two best girls,

Kate