Law School Dinner

Last night my oldest daughter's Law school gave a graduation dinner for the class of 2007 and they each were allowed to bring two guests. My daughter invited my youngest daughter who is her roommate and me to be with her at this dinner. All week I have held my cancer secret, but finally told my youngest daughter after an overheard phone call. I made her promise that this weekend was a weekend of celebration and not that of anxiety for her sister. She promised and we made plans on attending. In a moment of self indulgence I dyed my hair back to the color of precancer and had it cut into a sassy cut that was me before the dreaded C word came into our lives. I bought a new dress, put make up on and drove to Sacramento to meet up with my girls....listening to the CD of Martina Mcbride. I never was a country fan but heard a song on the Today show called "In my Daughters eyes" and the words felt as if they were saying the things I want my daughters to know. The song has a part where if you look into my daughters eyes you see that everything is going to be alright. You see all the possibilities of what life was meant to be." I see my daughters and I want their lives to be wonderful and for them to reach for evey shooting star.

At the dinner, my lovely daughter introduced me to the people who started law school with her. Her class was over 175 when they started out and now only 43 remain and are graduating. I got to meet the people who she talked about, made jokes about and helped change an awarkward teen into a woman with grace and beauty. I sat back looking around and admiring how at ease she was...laughing and talking with her peers who will be her companions in the legal world. She beamed with such pride that my heart melted. My daughter was not the first in her class and to be honest I do not know nor care what her standing is. All I know is that she is well liked by her peers and professors. Her class was so diverese....there were people who had decided to change jobs mid stream in their lives and become lawyers, others about her age, wives and husbands all who worked so hard to study and maintain jobs to finish school. There were funny stories traded at our table.......listening to them was like being a fly on the wall of the antics and the hard work they all accomplished. There was a funny moment when the number 2 of the class was to speak....but had a few too many drinks and could not say a coherent sentence. She was saved by another student who graciously stood up and made a speech about thanking those who helped them through the journey of law school. They handed out a yearbook of types where each graduate listed their awards and made a personel statement. My daughter did not win any awards....but decided that as a joke she would list that she was Miss November of the Lincoln Law School calender......there is no calender....but the funny thing is that many people came up to congraduate her for being Miss November. She thanked me in her personal statement which made my heart swell with joy. She thanked her dad, and her sister. Then the dean gave out awards that some graduates made up to thank the person who got them through Law school. Spouses were called up to recieve how they put their spouse through law school and it was very touching. Then a few thanked their parents. Then my name was called and my daughter was awarding me the magna cum Labor award to her mother for believing in her and helping her make it through school. I was surprised and again my heart was overcome with joy. A piece of paper with a gold seal that me cry. This was a gift I had not expected, one of those Ah-Ha moments in life that you could not duplicate. I have always been proud of my girls, but this made me even more so. I think the smile is still on my face. When I got home and told my husband of the dinner and showed the personal statement that she wrote to him, thanking him for working so hard to pay for her to go to school. He began to cry. This is the man that never shows emotions but was overtaken by a few sentences from his daughter acknowledging him and his part in her story. In the midst of a cancer crisis my daughter managed to erase the fears for now and let the world seem normal and wonderful. I called her after seeing the reaction of her father and told her of his tears.......they have not gotten along in a very long time but this simple acknowlegement and thanks melted away years of hurt and disappointments. She cried when she heard her dad cried. Again a moment of sheer bliss and amazement. Thank you God for giving our family this moment in the midst of all that has gone on. Thank you God for giving us joy this weekend. Sunday is graduation, and I am walking on clouds.