So not fair!

When you told us about the Comenius Student's Exchange Program, I was delighted you wanted to apply. Yes! our firstborn was going to explore different horizons and spread her wings out abroad to indulge some culture and differences in life. Not many students are allowed to go, you said. And you needed to write an exquisite letter to convince the principals of your motivation and goals. That was not an issue to you. When you let me read your letter, I was gobsmacked by your intelligence, your language skills and perseverance. Wow.. Your letter was persuasive enough to take the next step: the interview with the principals of your school and the Comenius Board. They asked for good school results (you're an excellent student), impeccable behavior (we know you and apparently your principals share our opinion of what impeccable behavior should look like) and an enlightened motivation why they should choose you to attend their exchange program. You were nervous (who wouldn't be?) although you did a great job preparing yourself for the interview. Coming home, you told us about the jury and the long wait before they would announce the chosen ones.

Right before Spring break, you were called into the principal's office. She had news for you, concerning the project. Like we had expected: you were among the better candidates and as so, they had chosen you to go abroad for 3 months, to go live with a host family in either Italy, Spain or Luxembourg. There was one inevitable obstacle though.. there were not as many vacancies as promised earlier in the contest. Leaving you out of the program for now... Holy macaroni! You were devastated, heartbroken and disappointed. For all these months, you had set your eyes on this adventure. We were all so convinced you were going to make it and not one single time had I doubted your application to the program. What a bummer.. Saying that it had nothing to do with you, didn't help. You are not going. Period. To you, that's all that matters. It's a shattered dream. A dream you really wanted to chase.

We won't give up yet. If one of the chosen ones decides not to go, drops out of school or ends up with bad school results at the end of the school year, you will be the first one to replace him or her. I know it's not of any comfort to you, but there's not much more we can do right now. Do not despair yet, okay? Keep on dreaming your dream and have faith that things will work out for you. I'll keep my fingers crossed that a host family will be found and that some school out there is looking forward to having you as their exchange student.