Andrew's graduation & a moment of quiet reflection

On June 21, 1991 I graduated from Three Oaks High School and on June 23, 2011 (20 years + 2 days later) Andrew graduated from Bluefield High School.  The world has changed significantly in those 20 years as I think back to my high school world.  My world didn't have computers, cellphones, Internet, facebook, twitter, youtube all of which are essential components in a teenagers life today.  

One thing that hasn't changed, however, is High School graduation.  It is a quintessential moment where one chapter ends and another begins and it is a singular moment in time that is shared by almost all of us.  It's a scary time as well as a time of extreme freedom. 

I look forward to seeing the decisions Andrew makes in the coming years and helping to guide him through the next chapter of his life.  His world is full of choices and decisions that didn't exist when I blazed my trail. 

On a side note, one of my favorite moments Andrew's graduation happened after all of the family celebration and the graduation itself was over.  Andrew went out with his friends to celebrate and Cheryl & I sat back and shared a bottle of wine while contemplating how we got to this point.  It seems like just yesterday we were living in the family wing of Blanchard Hall with a young child wondering how to make ends meet, and now here we are with three great kids including a High School graduate and we're all doing alright.

It gives me hope to think that if two young kids like us could make it, my 3 kids will do all right.

Congratulations, Andrew.  I am so proud of you!

Running with Vicki

Over the last couple of years I have been getting back into running again.  I typically run 5k most days and have run several 10k runs a 3 half-marathons so far.  All of these runs have helped me to see the value of eating relatively healthy and maintaining an active lifestyle.  On Saturday, I hit another milestone in my running journey.  Vicki and I ran at 5k together.  Although it wasn't my fastest time, I felt an amazing sense of pride crossing the finish line together.  I hope that there will be many runs like this one in the future.  As Vicki starts junior high in the fall, I realize that she is entering the next phase of her journey through life and that my role in it will likely diminish in the coming years.  That said, it's great to know that we have an activity that we can share to keep the lines of communication open.