Wooooo-Freakin'-Hoooooooo!

 
It's not often that I post anything that doesn't eventually come around to Linux or open source software.

This would be an exception.

Yesterday, on the 2nd of June 2011 at 3:57 PM,  my daughter Amanda Brooke Starks crossed the stage to accept her high school diploma.  She did so with the grace and humility that has gotten her this far in life and I am so proud of her I could just combust.

I won't, but I probably could if I focused.

It isn't that she simply graduated high school....she did so within a fairly restrictive and negative environment.

Amanda's mom and I divorced in 2008.  Happens all the time, not a big deal in the scope of things but I worried and stressed over her reactions and abilities to cope.  I worried about it a lot.

Not to worry Dad....she'll be fine.

That's what I told myself constantly.  I watched her from a distance and as I saw her accelerate as a student and as an individual, I began to relax a bit.

A little bit.

Yesterday, I walked into the Frank Erwin Center where an assembly line of high school graduations were taking place.  Crockett High School was scheduled between 3 and 5 PM.  I took my seat at 2:55.

I sat by myself.  I eventually saw Amanda's mom and the large group of family and friends that came to celebrate Amanda's achievement.  It just wouldn't be comfortable to join them.  It would have been clumsy for everyone.

I fiddled with the graduation program in my hands for several minutes before it dawned on me that I might want to look at it.

Standard fare for a graduation program.  Rich yellow parchment...easy-to-read text.  I scanned the 481 graduates listed in alphabetical order and inwardly groaned...so many to cross before my Daughter.  The place was packed and I was in a lousy position to take any pictures with my Nikon point-and-shoot.  No matter how much I zoomed, it was an indistinguishable mass of caps and gowns...

And they all faced away from me.

But it was in a few seconds, all the worries, all the guilt and stress was lifted from me...at least for now.  In the middle of the "achievements" page was the announcement for The National Honor Society.

Amanda was there...listed in the top 5 percent of her class.

I quietly wept...I gave my thanks to my God and to my ex-wife for doing things I was not there to do...

And I thanked Amanda.  For exploring and achieving her potential, for seeing her life as reaching farther than the next Facebook posting....

And for understanding that her Dad was there...but invisible.

So here's to you kid.  We'll go together to Texas Tech University on the 14th through the 17th and get you registered for classes and we'll talk about the next four years.

Maybe beyond...

My little girl wants to do her graduate work at MIT.  She will become a nuclear engineer.

I remembered back to the day she was born.  She was a blue-tinge baby and the doctor handed me the swaddled bundle so I could walk her up and down the hall until she gained her color.

Not to worry Dad....she'll be fine.

There are some things a divorce just can't break.

All-Righty Then