here is where it all ends/begins

did i really get a diploma last year? somehow that seems like forever ago. though somehow this weekend i realized that receiving my high school degree still feels like it might just have been yesterday.

the gym has been repainted with a beautiful mural. the benches are different. the setup has been turned a full 90 degrees to the north. but somehow, there were a lot of things that still felt the same. and it didn't seem like it was all that long ago that i was trying, for the first time, to figure out how one keeps a mortar board cap pinned solidly into your hair in a way that looks at least semi-fashionable (though, of course, effortless).

it is a different feeling of pride when you get to watch someone you love succeed. i felt it this weekend to be sure. i got to watch someone who i know has had some easy and some hard paths; some pretty strong academic loves and hates; some better and some worse years. watch what, you ask? watch her finish a long journey of hard work and perseverance with all of the grace and pride such an accomplishment should entail. i couldn't be more proud. and i couldn't be more excited to see just what comes next.