Five years ago my wife, who only had a high school diploma, started college at the age of 46. With one child attending university and two in high school, adding a fourth full time student to the mix was a bit of an adjustment. Things got more challenging two years ago when I was diagnosed with cancer, underwent months of chemo, a stem cell (bone marrow) transplant and went on disability, but she persevered somehow and will be graduating in June with both a BS degree in sociology and psychology. Yesterday she got an acceptance letter into the graduate sociology program at the university she attends. She may be in her 50's now, but she's not done learning. I'm very proud of her and I'm looking forward to being Mr and Doctor Mallory some day.
From where you cut off the quote, I assume you're shocked about the bone marrow transplant and not his past health problems? Why is that shocking?
Tell her she can look forward to people telling her about their knees and ailments (I get it all the time - my PhD is in the information sciences).
wow! That was very courageous of her to restart her education, and to be accepted into grad school is impressive. Congrats to her!
Thanks all. I'm just glad she's fulfilled a lifelong ambition and earned a degree. Grad school in her 50's is just icing on the cake.
How wonderful; your wife is an inspiration! This reminds me of a cellist I knew when I played for the West Seattle Community Orchestra (I was a cellist too, and a young teen). The youngest member of our orchestra was an 8 year old violinist, and the oldest was an 88 year old cellist. And he had only been playing the cello -- his first instrument -- for 8 years. People seem to forget how much life there is to be lived after their younger days pass (not that 50 is by any means "old"). I try to remember people like your wife in hopes that I'll never stop trying new things.
Good for her. In the midst of all of the trouble, she hung tough. And good for these young'uns to see that people continue to learn and grow, even well past their 20s and 30s!
Congrats to her on her degree and further schooling and congrats to you on beating your cancer. It's a real inspiration to whiny mopers like me who think their life is over at 39.