Three (more) Down. . .A Few (more) To Go
Yesterday was a day I’d been envisioning for nearly 18 years. Not exactly, 18, but pretty close.
It was graduation day. . .times three.
These are my three most recent high school graduates.
I don’t put pictures of my chidren online. I figure they get to tell their own stories. I get to tell my stories. Today, these three go from children I feel the need to protect, to adults that can make their own choices.
This is Isaac, Sabine and Ammon. That’s my lovely wife, and of course, me. It’s probably obvious that these kids were adopted. They have a brother who is also 18 years old. He’s 6’5″ and white. He decided to graduate a year early or we would be celebrating the class of 2018 times four.
The kids came to us at various ages. One was five when they joined our family. Another was three days. The third was 2 years old. And of course, our birth son was zero when he joined our family.
Throughout the years we’ve watched these four children grow into four adults. Each has a unique personality and interestingly, each has their own set of friends. Pleasant Grove High School is a 6A school. The graduating class was about 600 students. My kids each move in different circles.
This is the end of “raising” them. They will quickly move off in separate directions. Some to missions for the Mormon church, some to university, some to working.
There are still several kids at home. But, we are definitely closer to the end than the beginning. I’m incredibly proud of each of them. They are good people. In some ways it’s been difficult as a writer to censor myself. I’ve slipped up a few times over the years and written them into stories, but overall, we feel strongly as a family in the right to privacy.
Even at school, my kids typically direct people with questions about a sibling to go talk to that sibling. People get to tell their own stories.
In fact, if you look at my signature block, for example, you’ll find no identifiable information. Yes, I have thirteen children. And I have some grandkids. How many? Well, that’s more information than I’m willing to share.
Congratulations to all the 2018 graduates, but to these three especially.
Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren.
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