Oxbridge makes me sin

My son had his Oxbridge interviews this week.

First interview went well, second went badly. We’ll see what comes of it. Personally, I am very pleased he has made it as far as an interview, but if he is one of the small fraction that gets through I shall be hugely proud.

The trouble is: it is very hard to see it purely in terms of him achieving what is best for him. My friends’ son – friends I don’t particularly like, did not get in a few years ago, so it would be very gratifying if mine did. But is that a righteous feeling?

And another friends’ son also applied to Oxbridge this year – a bright lad who has not had the benefit of private education as my son has. So I want that boy to get in, because I don’t want him to be disadvantaged by his parent’s poverty. (Sound people for whom I have much respect). But on the other hand if he gets in and my son doesn’t, when I have spent £xx,xxx.xx on his education – I will be more than a little miffed.

So the simple question of my lad getting to his chosen college suddenly gets filled with all sorts of petty bitterness, jealously, and unrighteousness. I hope my sin does not stand in his way.