Congratulations, Columbia University

We are dancing, singing, I'm calling my mother and will be continuing to burn my cell phone to a hot ember, telling EVERYBODY that my son just got himself a plum of a job at Columbia University. The funny part is that I don't even know all that comprises this. I know he will be Director of Online Learning, but he's also going to teach two classes plus other wonderful things thrown in, including taking Ph.D. classes for free.

When something like this happens you sit back and think: how did this happen? Was he born to do this? Can Peter and I take credit for it? Oh well, who cares? I know the Columbia people were impressed with all the experiences he's had over the last ten years, especially his humanitarian work. And then I think about all thoses times we had to say goodbye to Michael when he went off to Haiti, Japan, New Orleans and Texas (after the hurricanes,) and so, so many more times when I held back tears because I didn't want him to see me crying. Michael hates to see me cry.

Well, Columbia University, you just got yourself a bargain. Wait until you see who you've hired. He can work like ten men, organize the work, get everything done before the deadline, yet make at least some of it feel like fun. Plus cook dinner at the end of the day and clean up afterwards. And take out the garbage.

There was this one time when I took the bus to NYC to visit Michael. It was in June of 2010. Anyway, when my bus got to its destination and Michael met me, he told me that he had a surprise for me. We went out into Times Square (and since I'm now a country woman I was looking around me, overwhelmed by all the huge signs and 100s of people) and we waited in a long line for something that would be a surprise. It was a summer program put together by NYC called Key to the City. You get to the head of the line and each of you are given a key. This key opens a lot of places in NYC that tourists would like to see but can't. However NOW YOU CAN BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE KEY. Then each person gets a "passport" in which you can dedicate this Key to the City because.....well, in my case I wrote "I give this key to the city to my son Michael because he is a patient and devoted son." He wrote that "Leslie Mastroianni is the best mother anyone could hope for." As you can imagine I put that Key to the City on my key ring and it never gets lost. The "passport" sits right next to my computer where I can see it every day.

Now it's party time. Michael will be home for a week before the job starts. Steak, champagne, and party hats for the cats...