Graduation

Tonight, my little girl will walk across a stage and descend the steps on the other side with a diploma in hand.

I don't think I'm an overly sentimental guy. 

Well...I did tear up during the season finale of Modern Family.

I cry every time George Bailey stands by the Christmas tree, ZuZu's petals in hand, as all of Bedford Falls gives him cash to make up for the missing money.

I can't help but choke up when I read about Scout realizing just who saved her and her brother, Jem, and she simply says, "Hey, Boo."

And I turn into a complete mess during the last 10 minutes of Toy Story 3.

Okay, I am overly sentimental.

But given that, I'm still surprised by how melancholy I'm feeling over Anya's impending graduation.  She just turned 18 a little over a week ago.  And I swear she was 10 years old just a few months before that.

I suppose it's not the graduation itself.  It's what's next.  And no, we're still not sure what exactly is next.  But whatever it is, it means our family as I know it now is going to change.  Anya will be on her own in some way, whether she's away at school or living with us next fall.  I won't have three girls coming home in the afternoon from school, telling tales at dinner about the great story a teacher told, or the annoying thing that know-it-all in the next row did, or the dork-o-riffic thing the students did on Channel One that morning.  I'll have two girls sharing those events, and one who's beginning the next chapter of her own story.

Yeah, I know, she's still part of our family, she might even be living with us, we have too much fun for her to abandon us completely.  That's all true.  I'm really grateful that, by the immense grace of God, we've raised a girl who not only wants to be with us, but is a quality girl that we really like being around, too.

But no matter what, she's growing up.  Her life, while forever intertwined with ours, is slowly spinning outward in new directions, into unseen territories.  Home will be an anchor, a cornerstone, a comfy couch even.  And eventually, she'll establish her own home, start her own family, her own traditions, ones hopefully informed and influenced by her time with us, and hopefully expressive of her own unique wants, desires, and attitudes.

It feels like it all begins tonight, as Pomp & Circumstance plays, and she marches in a green robe, a tassel swinging before her face.

I know it doesn't begin tonight.  It began 18 years ago.  It's just all very present tonight.

But I can tell you for sure -- I am NOT watching Toy Story 3 anytime in the near future.