My family is extremely supportive. So supportive that sometimes, a little suffocating. They mean well and try to give me the best they can, and they have given me a good life.
However, since I’ve moved away to college, I’ve realized how much my parents did for me.
Until I moved out, I never did my own laundry. I knew the theory behind doing laundry, but had never really done a load by myself. Although it sounds bratty, adjusting to have to do that for myself was really strange. I needed to plan out how much time each load would take, figure out the measurements of detergent and softener I’d need, and decide what to hang and what to fold. The entire process was foreign to me.
That’s not all that I was oblivious to either. I’d never had to get my own oil changed, I’ve always had a dish washer to use rather than hand-washing every bowl, cup and spoon I use, and I now have to prepare my own meals, whether that means paying to eat out, buying groceries, or eating in the cafeteria.
Adding in all these daily chores I took for granted took a lot of getting used to, and a bit of trial and error. They also required me to learn how to manage my time, because I still have to do homework and go to classes, and hold myself accountable for showering at least once a week or run the chance of smelling absolutely horrible.
For me, going to college became a process of learning how to be a grown, independent woman. And that’s okay. Now, I realize how much work my parents did and still do for me, so I appreciate them and respect them more than I did as a kid.
So, in short coming to college made me look at my life and realize how much I’m dripping in privilege. There’s so much diversity on a college campus and I know some kids have to work so hard to be where I’m at fairly comfortably. It’s not fair and I urge other college students to look intrinsically and recognize privilege and aim to create a society where students don’t have to work so hard to better their chances at a more successful life.
Don’t let your mom do your laundry.