Asher's Gift to Us

 

 

Last night we stood on the football field after the ceremony, surrounded by people. The voice inside my head began to speak, as clear as it ever has.

 

Our long run with the Indian River School District had apparently come to an end. It had started back when our oldest daughter was in the fourth grade – about 16 years ago. She, her sister, and her brother had graduated already. Our last child, Asher, had just received his diploma.

 

Parent’s typically consider the great accomplishments of their children as they graduate. This certainly did not go unnoticed in Asher. He has a work ethic that is off the charts, and completely self-driven. At the risk of overlooking his accomplishments though, I’d like to consider not so much what he has done, but what he has given us.

 

We have spent the last 16 years involved with our schools (North Georgetown, Georgetown Middle, Sussex Central High). As I looked around the field, I didn’t see just a mass of people. I saw classmates of Asher’s we had grown fond of, teachers we had become friends with, administrators we had walked through problems with. The voice in my head clearly said, “This isn’t just a mass of people… these are your friends…this is your place… this is your life.”

 

Unwittingly, this is what Asher and the rest of our kids have given us. They built friendships, got involved, helped their peers. They opened the door for us. If not for them, this would not BE our lives.

 

As I scanned the field, off to the side one of our daughters stood with her husband (also a SCHS graduate). They had been members of the band back in the day, and joined the band at graduation to play a couple of songs for the ceremony. Sarah has just been hired to teach Art in our high school. Occasionally our band director will call on adults to fill in a slim section of instruments during a concert. Hopefully, our daughter and her husband can fill that role once in a while.

 

All those thoughts came together and the voice in my head spoke again. It said “You and Tina are not done here yet.” ... Wait… what? What does that even mean? I’m sure it will become clear as we make the transition to this slightly new season in life, just as it will become clear to Asher what his path shall be, and just as it becomes clear what the paths of our other children will be, one step at a time. This is family. This is life.

 

(Thanks Ben Ables for the picture.)