Inspire, Summer 2006

18 Summer 2006 B alance defines Laura Dimacchia Meyer ’86. Two decades have passed since she graduated from Cedarville. She started her alumna life as a resident director, wife, and soon a mother when a year after graduating, her son was born. Looking back she said, “I remember wanting to have lots of children, but Drew was five rolled up into one — he was very busy.”With Lawlor Hall providing an endless supply of excellent babysitters, Laura noted that being a resident director had its advantages for a new mother with an active toddler. But life soon changed when Laura and her husband separated and ultimately divorced. Now a single mom, Laura taught in a Christian school and waited tables to make ends meet. Drew had just started elementary school, and Laura was thankful that his father was still a big part in Drew’s life. “That has made a huge difference in Drew,” she commented, “But I was still mom, counselor, small wound doctor, tutor, and chauffeur 24/7.” Eventually Laura left private school for the public school system. That move meant that she could take on club advisory positions to supplement her income instead of waitressing. However, working in public school brought new challenges. “Public school was an issue in and of itself,” Laura recalled. “I was in a struggling district, and the needs of my students left me really drained, but I didn’t get to rest because I had a Living Life Like a One- Armed Wallpaper Hanger child to take care of, to help with homework, to take to sport practices, and I had to tend to housework on top of it all. I think this is where a lot of people just give up, and I completely understand. They are tired from a full day’s work, and there’s just nothing left in them to parent.” Looking to make a career change, Laura pursued a master’s degree in exercise science. By this time Drew was a teenager. “I remember being so frustrated with trying to do it all at that point,” she reflected. “Junior high brought new issues. Many days were spent deprogramming Drew from the negative influences of public education and teaching him to take in the meat and spit out the bones of his day,” Laura added. by Cessna Catherine Winslow Laura Dimacch a Meyer ’86 as shared with Cessna Catherine Winslow