THE TIME IS NOW....

GRADUATION---JUST A FEW DAYS AWAY....
AM I READY ?
PROBABLY NOT- YET PROBABLY AS READY AS I WILL EVER BE.
THIRD CHILD TO GRADUATE IN AS MANY YEARS- I SHOULD BE USED TO THIS BY NOW.
BUT SOMEHOW IT HASN'T GOTTEN ANY EASIER.
FIRST TO GRADUATE- CHELSEY. I CRIED HER ENTIRE SENIOR YEAR.
NOT READY TO LET HER GO.
WE ADOPTED HER AT AGE 9 AND AT EIGHTEEN- I FELT CHEATED SOMEHOW- WE HADN'T
HAD ENOUGH TIME.
BUT NEVER-THE-LESS, THE TIME CAME - AND SHE WAS READY - AS ALL 18 YEAR OLDS ARE-
WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT.
I LIVED THROUGH IT.
THEN CAME ROBBY--AND YES I CRIED THROUGH HIS SENIOR YEAR AS WELL -- ALTHOUGH FOR
VERY DIFFERENT REASONS.
GRADUATION CAME AND WE THANKED GOD THAT HE MADE IT-- AND THAT WE HAD TOO--
AND THE REAL TEARS CAME WHEN HE LEFT FOR BASIC TRAINING A FEW MONTHS LATER.
THEY HAVN'T STOPPED YET. WE ARE VERY PROUD. SEMPER FI.
NOW COMES CORINNE.
FIRST BORN- YET THIRD OF FIVE IN THIS MIX OF BIOLOGY AND CHOICE WE LOVE AS ONE-
SHE IS STRONG AND CAPABLE, YET FRAGILE AND FEMININE. SHE IS SO VERY SMART AND YET INCREDIBLY NAIVE. SHE IS SO BEAUTIFUL I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT SHE IS REALLY MINE.
SHE IS 17 GOING ON 30- SOMEDAYS STILL 12.
AND THIS SUNDAY SHE WILL GRADUATE
7TH IN HER CLASS
LIBERTY UNION THURSTON HIGH SCHOOL - CLASS OF 2009
ATTENDING MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD- FALL 2009
MAJOR- PRE-MED
CONGRATULATIONS
CORINNE MARIE MCINTIRE