Parents Blog: Homesickness – A Harbinger of Spring

Boston winters are long. Spring break comes at a time in early March when everyone has had enough and is eager to get out of town . . . for anywhere. Getaways during break are anticipated, planned, and fine-tuned during February and sometimes mom’s home cooking even wins out over exotic locales or community service. (Shockingly, my son did choose Montreal and Disney World over my famous muffins once or twice but I’ll forgive him. While he was in Florida, his dad and I escaped to Vegas, but that’s another blog.) Celebrate spring is the message to students everywhere…here it comes. Return refreshed, and ready for the last push of the year. Except upon return, refreshed or not, it’s still winter . . . real winter, ugly and cold. And so arrives the first harbinger of spring in Boston . . . homesickness.

Both of my students experienced it more than once. I still remember my daughter telling me the Friday of freshman spring break that she couldn’t go back “there.” She was made for BU, outgoing, strong, and confident as any student in her class, and I was dumbfounded. But, in talking it out, it was clear to me that her old room, those muffins, blooming crocuses, greening grass, and buds on the trees easily beat out papers, midterms, uncertain friendships and the cold, gray Boston weather any day. Late March and early April can be a struggle for a BU student.

Every student gets homesick on occasion whether they admit to it or not. Whether the trigger is a holiday, a birthday, a particularly difficult course, or just a damp day when you know that there are flowers in your backyard at home, it happens. But there is good news here. It is transient and can disappear as quickly as the weather breaks and BU revs up for a spring awakening. And there is a flurry of activity and events (and maybe snow) around campus now to support the students as they put winter behind them. Patriots Day is coming, the BU hockey team is winning, and all is right in Beantown. But an extra hug from home (even if it is in a text) is always welcome on a cold day. So were those presents I sent my daughter for her early April birthday, her first away from home. So, listen if they call, and update them from home even if the email response is minimal. They will thank you for it one summer evening as they grab the keys and head out to re-explore their earlier life. At least, my daughter did.

-Jeanne Knox, Chairman, Parents Leadership Council