months vs. years

I knew this good neighbor only a few months, but I've visited his grave for 16 years now. He died same year my daughter was born. As she's grown strong and beautiful, I wonder what's happened to my friend. His ashes are buried here, but what adventures of the spirit has he found beyond the grave? Has he continued as a master teacher? Has he found use for his skills in language and production? And what would he say to those he left behind? To him I say, "Thanks, Richard, for what's turned out to be a brief and lasting friendship--brief in our actual time together and lasting as those memories span the years. I'm glad you moved into the 'hood, just wish you coulda stayed longer."

slippery slope

French Toast

  A couple of weeks ago nothing sounded good for breakfast but french toast. The dog also liked the idea.

visionary thinking - three views

At my son's commencement at the University of Utah we were advised, "We don't have to keep up with change—we have to keep ahead of it," by Thomas S. Monson.

At my daughter's BYU commencement we were advised, "America is still the country of a second chance. Most of us end up needing one," by Dick Cheney.

At my daughter's alternative commencement were asked, "Are our schools and our churches and our families places where we learn how to transform ourselves, where we are free to apply the lessons of history in the present, and where we are rewarded for thinking and not merely obeying, where we can be creative and thoughtful and human?" by organizer Ashley Sanders.

All three of these thoughts are about visionary thinking, looking foward even when "Plan A" doesn't go as expected, and asking ourselves tough questions as we seek our ideals. I'm glad that I heard the speakers at all three events, and that I'm still pondering how this all fits together.

dry creek canyon

The creek in Dry Creek Canyon is indeed dry, but the canyon is beautifully green. Got this shot on Friday's lunch hour ride.

proud papa x 2

It's not everyday you have child graduate from college, but in the last couple of weeks I've enjoyed a double dose of proud parenthood with a daughter graduating from BYU and a son graduating from the the U of U.

The Provo celebrations on April 26 included an honor's graduate luncheon, watching and listening to the Dick Cheney speech on radio and TV and then attending the alternate commencement and hearing from Pete Ashdown, Jack Healey and Ralph Nader. Oh, and Nader applauding "the BYU 25"--which included a certain young woman who shares my last name.

Then on May 4 we were back in Salt Lake for the University of Utah commencement with Thomas S. Monson (glance backward, reach outward, press forward), a brief break to walk around the Huntsman Center and then back inside for the Engineering convocation. Yes, it was great to hear from all these famous folks, but for parents (and probably most of the graduates) it's more about the walk than the talk. Great, earned, hard fought, well celebrated, long suffered, patient, enduring, passionate, purposeful, peaceful walking of the walk of the new college graduate.

So we're three down with two more to go with the college grad program. Their school choices are as different as their personalities--a pediatric nurse, a software engineer, a writer of memoir and feminist studies. We'll have to wait a few years for the other two which may involve business, language, art, medicine--or perhaps none of the above.