May 6, 2023.

It’s a normal day for some people.

It’s a sad day for some people.

And it’s a happy day for 3 girls who have successfully finished another year of school.

Perhaps even happier for you, K3, because you graduate from school.

If I were there, I’d give each of you a hug, even though I know one of you wouldn’t like it.

I would wish each of you the best, and, whatever else you say on last day of school programs and graduations.

I used to be a huge fan of graduation addresses. 

I saved little snippets from some of the ones I liked the best.

And some day, I figured, I’d give a graduation address that would include them.

And people would come up to me later and say what a wonderful graduation speech it was.

But you know what?

I still save the snippets.  But I don’t plan to ever use them in a graduation address.

You know why?

Because the ones who are graduating aren’t listening anyway. 

I sure wasn’t, when I graduated. I can’t begin to tell you what, or who, talked about. 

So, I’m not sure what graduation addresses are for, except maybe for folks like me who like to listen to them, for the little snippets I can store away and read again some later day.

But.

If I were there, and if I said anything, I’d say this.

I’d say, thank you.

For being kind to my daughter.

For serving so many good meals to her.

For being her friend.

For loving her.

I’d tell you what it meant to me, to be able to get to know you.

I’d tell you how much I enjoyed your letters; how I saved them and read them over again later.

I’d tell you how much I appreciated that time I got to be in Sunday School with you.  (Did I talk too much?)

I’d tell you that you will never go wrong to love animals the way you do.

Or that you will never stop seeing beautiful things, as long as you have a mind to look for them.

I’d go see the goats with you, one last time.

And, I’d like to be at your house for supper again.

Maybe, if I were lucky, your mom would make those wonderful beans she makes, and we’d have ice cream and chocolate sauce for desert. 

I wonder if you could send that chocolate sauce recipe home with Lexi?

And.  Now that it’s nicer weather, I’d take you to a park and show you how to play disc golf.

The last thing I would tell you is, I would make you promise to come to Kansas, to see me, of course, or Lexi, if you like her better, which I know you do.  (I like her better than me to.)

*****

Our lives will never be the same, will they, since our paths came together and ran parallel for a little while.

And I like to think that in a way, our paths won’t grow so far apart, even though lots of miles separate us. 

Anyways.

Maybe this is enough for now. 

Till next time . . .