Last week I arrived at one of the pinnacle moment’s in my life as a mom.  Daniel graduated from high school.  NO easy task here.  In fact, ultimately, it was much more challenging than I would have thought, for a million reasons, easily.  But… we made it.  This week, we start by turning another page.  No more will we spend time considering prom, our requisite community service.  There is no more worry over having ordered a year book, or taking the AP exams.  Today, it’s different.  

There is a tribe of “my” seniors from Aurora Central who participated in commencement exercises yesterday.  I am equally proud of these young people as Daniel.  They’ve worked hard, put in amazing hours.  They’ve excelled, they’ve cut it close, but they’ve done it.

They’re all turning another page. My son, and my other kids. Darius will be attending Black Hills State University in the fall.  Jevin, Yamel,  and Carleon will be attending CSU Pueblo.  Daniel will be attending Arapahoe Community, Dominique is off to Community College of Denver, and Eric, well, he’s weighing his options.  I like that about him.  Considering that he may not know just where he wants to be yet.  Isn’t it funny how they all have their own paths… for me, Daniel’s path isn’t anything that I thought it might be when he was off to his first day of kindergarten.  Do my cohort parents feel the same?  I know that we’re all proud them, completely.

I had the gift of meeting some of Daruis’ family yesterday. What a gift… I love this boy as much as my own, and I had the opportunity to meet the woman who is his mother, and that we share a common bond of wanting every good thing for our young man.

I’ve shared four amazing years with Dominique and her family.  Four years of ups that were amazing, downs that have tested the very limits of what relationships are.  Always learning about who we are, how we communicate, how we rise above the challenges that we have singularly, and in relationship. Can we be a stand for each other even in the places where we just don’t think we can? Yes.  Just yes.

And with all of the excitement of my son’s completion of high school and my Aurora Central young people finishing this chapter, we all turn another page together.  I look forward to the next chapter in the novel of my life.  To each of you, all whom have made an indelible mark on my heart, a lasting place always here for you, thank you for sharing your experience with me, thank you for letting me play this game of life with you.  I am grateful and proud of you all.

With love always…

Liz.