Christina graduates today, receiving a degree in English from SUNY Fredonia.  Not in a “couldn’t think of a major” sort of English, but “I’m going to copy edit the h3ll out of the universe and no one will stop me” kinda way.

Oddly, it doesn’t feel like forever ago or yesterday that she came into my life.  These days, it just seems like a timeless blessing to have her here as who she is at this moment.  Sure, the trials of the now-distant past could have been another lifetime, but it seems more like an incidental backdrop that no longer adds heaviness to my memories … I think I can even be grateful for that because it’s still something shared and made us stronger in who we are.

And the present is a bit surreal, making me optimistic about the future yet very open-ended.  Last year, while on the phone with her, I discovered she had been trained in specific things peripheral to my own business.  When she started talking about what my clients needed (I must have just mentioned one of the situations of the time), she was repeating the sorts of thing I educate and advise myself!  I hired her out at a full professional rate to a client soon thereafter.  Of course I felt guilty right off the bat, with thoughts of how I could “unload” my business off to her someday, LOL.  Honestly it had never occurred to me that she would enter “the family business”, though I think she currently prefers freelance autonomy — it will probably depend on how busy we become.  Our first “board meeting” will be next week, and we are both looking forward to it.

I will miss visiting Fredonia.  I really loved meeting and hanging out with her friends, some of which I am now friends and stay in touch with.  I visited her many times and am glad I was able to spend at least one long day there, a Saturday toward the end of April.  She even got me a little cake and candle for my birthday!  I don’t think I’ll ever forget that day.  But the last four years have been like a mini-lifetime — probably for her as well — and I keep joking I have to wait another 20 years (or so) to do it all over again with my grandkids.

Anyway, I am just so happy for her, and of course very proud, not of the piece of paper and flat hat, but the woman she has become.  It’s more than I ever could have wished for.