Yay! Kind of.,

This loan was taken out 35 years ago by two 18-year kids who were just trying to go to college.

One whose father had just passed away and whose mom was living on a teacher’s salary.

One whose mother was finishing her own college education in order to support her children as a new single mom.

Theo and I paid every month, on time, for 420 months.

$32,327.24 - in interest.

Let me be clear, we have lived well-loved lives.

We were beyond blessed by our mother’s who supported us in every way they possibly could while still needing to make ends meet themselves. We received numerous meals, grocery bags packed with food from their cupboards and several months of free rent while we crashed in upstairs bedrooms.

And, we have not lived in squalor by any means. We’ve never been rich but we’ve always been comfortably fed, clothed and housed.

But this system is beyond broken. We are among the fortunate ones who survived, due in large part to the generosity of our mothers and the privilege we experience by living in our zip codes, color of our skin, and the ways in which we generally follow society’s expectations of “normalcy.”

On this day of “celebration” to have the loan paid off, I am keenly aware that we are still among the lucky ones.

For too many the system breaks or prohibits them from pursuing college altogether.

A system that expects people to be a fully prepared adult by 18, regardless of family support and resources.

A system that is unforgiving for those who don’t have the same access to information.

A system that demands a college education but punishes one for pursuing it.

And despite our celebration today, the economic cycle continues.

Now we’ll pay for our children’s college loans - likely until we die.