Savage Words: Time slows for no one; My little girl graduates this weekend

By: 
Tom A. Savage, Contributing writer

Dread probably isn’t the right word, but it’s definitely still a part of it.

My daughter, Isabella, was born Dec. 15, 2004. When she was just a few minutes old, I held her, looked into her eyes and said out loud, “What are you going to be?”

Before she was born, we did the math and figured out that she would graduate from high school in May of 2023. I’ve been…dreading…that month for 18 years.

Her last day of school is tomorrow. It seems like it was just a blink when she attended her first day of Kindergarten. That nagging emotion of dread – although still there to some degree – has morphed into so many other awesome things over the years. As she closes the chapter on her K-12 years, I understand that there’s so much excitement on the horizon for her, and that fills her mom, Nancy, and I with pure joy.

I don’t know what she’ll be yet, but I’ve got a pretty strong feeling that she’s going to be just fine in whatever she decides. She’ll be more than fine. If it comes down to Ted Lasso trivia, she’ll rule the world.

When we found out Nancy was pregnant back in March of 2004, I bought a book full of blank pages. I’ve written in it, about once a week, for the past 19 years. It’s essentially the story of Isabella’s life – the address where she first crawled, first walked, where we were when her face lit up after I put a dab of chocolate on her tongue for the first time. It’s loaded with memories, and I’m hopeful she’ll cherish it for many years.

The book is actually two volumes now as I blew through the first book in 2012. I’m giving it to her tomorrow, and I finished the final entry last night. I went back and read some of the old entries last weekend, and honestly, it’s tough for me to get through it without things getting a bit misty.

I’ve been fighting Father Time watching her grow up, wanting time to slow its inevitable final outcome. But just like every other parent out there who’s seeing a senior graduate this month, we realize we’ve all been fighting a losing battle, just like all parents before us.

She graduates from Sioux Falls O’Gorman this Saturday. O’Gorman, I know. Probably one of Brandon Valley’s greatest rivals. Trust me, O’Gorman hasn’t always been my favorite either. There were some tough times, just like every other kid in every other school. It was hard for her to fit in all the time, but I’ve stressed to Isabella that once she graduates and becomes an adult, she’ll find her niche. Eventually, she’ll find her people.

As a dad, I wonder where I went right, where I went wrong and whether I’ve helped prepare Isabella to be on her own. I fear that I haven’t, because for many of her first 18 years, I was still growing up, too.

When she walks the stage Saturday at the Sioux Falls Arena, I promised Isabella that I won’t cry. It’s a promise I can’t keep.

If she’s actually gotten this far by reading this, I’ll ask again: “Isabella, what are you going to be?”

Rest assured, no matter what, that you’ll be loved by mom and dad, now and forever.

Congratulations to you, and to all of the Class of 2023.

Now, go find your people … 

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