Other Side of the Tracks

This little group here is my sister Susannah's graduating class (well, about half of them. we went to a pretty small school). Lots of memories these kids have made together. This past Friday night was her high school graduation. It felt pretty surreal, to be honest. Three years ago, I could not imagine her and the freshmen taking our places up in the chapel loft and wearing the caps & gowns (thankfully they have since gone to a darker, forest green color over the lime green we had. it's MUCH better looking now). It is just amazing how time flies so fast. All the more reason to cherish the moments you have and to make them count because once they're gone, you can never get them back.

So yes, Friday was definitely a special day. I came home late in the morning having just wrapped up my spring semester at Furman (no word on my grades for another week at least) and found the dining room all decorated. The mirror on the wall was converted into a little picture montage, sporting quite a few moments that really took me back. A poster on the opposite wall had pictures from Susannah's drama productions, from Antonio in Much Ado About Nothing to Madame Robespierre. We had a wonderful dinner later that evening with our relatives and family; a real gourmet buffet with chicken tenders, fresh vegetables, popcorn shrimp, deviled eggs, and the coup de grace: chocolate-coated strawberries :P I think I'm rubbing off on Susannah because she actually took her time opening her cards and presents. Either that or she was momentarily overcome by nostalgia. Whichever.

Anna Kate got to join us as well. She remarked that this would be a new experience for her, since she was used to seeing 500+ graduates at Hillcrest High. My sister's class numbered 29. Definitely a more intimate feeling with smaller numbers. And the service was, as always, terrific, but what made this even more special was the keynote speaker. My graduating class asked Alvin Sell, our Bible/History teacher, to speak at our commencement, and I was thrilled to hear that my sister's class had asked him to speak again for them this year. Mr. Sell is a man that I deeply love and respect, and if you haven't had the pleasure of meeting him, you're really missing out. He is one of my biggest inspirations of God-centered living, and he amazes me with just how much he invests of himself in his students. Teaching is far more than just a job for him: it's a calling from Heaven, and he lives it up every day. Both of our classes had this reason in mind for choosing him as our speaker: we wanted someone who could talk to us, someone who really knew us and could communicate at our level rather than just spouting platitudes at the pulpit. And I won't deny it: he choked up quite a few of us three years ago. This year he got a bit more emotional himself, but how could you not when you've known these graduates ever since they were little seventh graders?

So Mr. Sell did another masterful job talking on the subject of "leaving your mark." The whole service was fun and enjoyable, and it felt great to sing the SFC alma mater again (I'm the only one in my family who knows it by heart). And part of me still could not believe it was Susannah, my little sister, walking down the aisle. That within the hour, she would be a high school graduate. That within three months, she would be packing up for Anderson. (and that within three days, she'd be calling and begging to come home for laundry and money ... just kidding!!) But she has astounded me in the ways that she has grown and matured, especially within the past several years. The thing I love most about her is her fun-loving, energetic attitude she takes to everything. She isn't stressed out by very many things, and when she is, you hardly notice it. Even with her work, she keeps that optimism up and somehow always manages to get it all accomplished. Yeah, we're different that way, but it just shows how God knew what He was doing when He created us to be unique. We would love and bless each other in a variety of different ways, and it would keep life always fresh and exciting. What a wonderful God that He would bless me with such a loving family and a sister of whom I am proud beyond words. Congrats on all your accomplishments, Susannah! Know that I will always be here for you and that I love you!