There is nothing quite like that package notification popping up in your inbox as you head out of that history lecture on a Wednesday afternoon. You are probably hoping for a surprise package from home or the cute earrings you ordered online off of dad’s credit card, while simultaneously praying that it isn’t just your Spanish workbook you ordered three weeks after class even started.
For me, that package notification has never been a mystery. Since the second week of my freshman year, when my first care package came to Stuart, filled solely with king size Kit Kats, I knew that Momma Middz, the Lorelai to my Rory Gilmore, had mastered the art of the care package.
There have been highlights, but also some pitfalls. So, whether you have severe only child syndrome like my wonderful roommate, getting three packages a week, or are here to drool over some of the goodies my dear old Ma has sent me and the roomies since that first day on Newton campus last fall, I now give you the ingredients for the perfect care package.
NOTE TO PARENTS: When you ask us what you can send us at school, and we say nothing, we almost never mean it.
SNACKS: My favorite candy bar, hidden underneath a giant bag of roasted almonds so my roommates still think I’m healthy and also do not know that I have candy they can steal. My mom once emptied a bag of almonds and filled it with mini-Reeses. Best surprise ever.
FUN TOYS: Mom sent me Legos during finals last year. Procrastination has never been so fun.
SENTIMENTAL FAMILY ITEM: A picture of the family, or just a birthday card or letter goes a long way. Mom always has a way of knowing when I’m having a bad day, and nothing beats a formally written love letter from one of my dogs.
GIFTY THINGS: Send a headband, a bracelet, maybe a cute pair of earrings. It will keep me away from that tempting jewelry sale that I pass on my way to class from Co Ro. (I once got a handmade friendship bracelet that had my phone number on it so I “wouldn’t get lost”… Mom…)
HOLIDAY ITEMS: Last year, I was so stressed about picking a Halloween costume that I actually asked my mom to send me one. The result? A giant, fluffy bumblebee costume from Target. (Beyonce rocked the same costume during her pregnancy… at least it was trendy?)
THE CLINCHER ITEM: My mom sent me a Gummy Bear Lamp. Enough Said.
To all the loving parents of BC students, whether you are glad to have the house to yourself or dreading the life of the empty-nester, a care package goes a long way. While we may only call once every two weeks, and are engrossed in internships, study abroad meetings, community service, and dealing with the real world and our “adult” problems, it’s a great way to let us know that we haven’t grown up quite as fast as it seems.
And mommy, feel free to send more chocolate.
Photo Sources:
Pinterest.com
http://blancaortega24.blogspot.com/2010_12_01_archive.html
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