GRADUATION DAY - GLORIOUS

Today is Saturday, May 15th. This has been such an exciting week for me. It has been, what I will always refer to as, "Courtney Week". Starting with Wednesday when I went to Goodpasture to give the East High School Scholarship Award at the Award's Assembly. Can you possibly image the pride that I felt when I said that "this year I am very excited to present the William Henry Oliver Scholarship Award to my very own granddaughter, Courtney Wiseman". She came to the front with that million dollar smile and took the certificate, hugged me so tightly and said "thank you Mimi". Oh my, what could be better than a grandchild's hug? Then today I saw her come down the aisle to Pomp and Circumstance in that blue robe and hat with the yellow scarf around her neck with the words HONOR written on it - yep, the tears came and I didn't even try to hide them. From where I was seated I had a perfect view of her the entire program and as I looked at her sitting there so grown up my mind was replaying so many images. First one that came to me was when I went to Tracey and Danny's house when they brought her home from the hospital and I was the "nanny" for a week. At night I would sit in the nursery and rock her back to sleep and I talked to her. I told her all the things that I wanted her to know about life and about her family. I just filled her little mind full of things that she has no memory of nor would she care if she did. She will find out about life on her own and she knows that she has the love and support of her entire family. After the graduation program we made pictures on the lawn of the school and it brought back memories of Kim, Tracey, Chris, Drew, Leslie, Emily, Patrick and the days of their graduation. I have had so many children and grandchildren to graduate from that wonderful school that I surely will get the prize next year at Grandparent's Day. I am so glad that I have Carter there for four more years. I'm not ready to give up my seat in the stadium yet. Tonight, as I write this, I have just returned from the party that was given for Courtney by her parents and her Uncle Tommy and Aunt Susan Krunk at their lovely home in Springfield. It was a huge success with many people, lots of good food, lots of conversation and lots of love between all of the family and friends that attended. Courtney, in her beautiful white dress and twinkling blue eyes was just the picture of what a young lady should be. She is everything that I ever thought she would be, in fact she has exceeded all expectations. In other words this grandmother is one proud gal tonight. The best thing of all is that Courtney is a Christian and she is proud to proclaim that fact to the world. She will do well at college or at anything she does because she has the Lord on her side and she knows that God is good - all the time.