dream on, dream until your dream come true

So, today I heard from one of my neices, who apparently is moving in with her boyfriend and not finishing high school. I personally find this ridiculous. I mean, on one hand, I admire the courage it takes to not take the expected path, to forgoe the traditional to follow a dream. BUT, she is not giving up on high school to go after her passion, she's giving up on it so she can sit at home with her high school flunkie. Having a high school degree is practically a base requirement for getting any job in the future, and why should anyone give up their future for some fellow dropout who will most likely just break your heart in the end. It's wreckless, and it's a decision that will follow a person for the rest of their lives. I realize she is not the first person to ever drop out of high school to move in with her boyfriend, I mean I knew at least 5 people in my high school class who did the same thing, but it's just sad to me. There are people out there so desperate for love that once someone offers them the chance for companionship they'll skip out on their plans in hopes of feeling whole. The one goal I am making to myself is that I never let myself do that. I never want to give up my dreams/goals for a guy who doesn't want to support me in following them. Many people fail in life, not for lack of ability or brains or even courage but simply because they have never organized their energies around a goal. If my neice had a half-decent boyfriend, he would be encouraging her to focus her energy on a goal -- graduating or finding a good job. But he's not, and sadly, life can't be as carefree as we wish it were. Everyone has to grow up eventually.