An Open Letter to Michelle:

The long walk actually began in kindergarten. Indeed, the entire plan until now was unveiled and adopted before first grade. With a little encouragement (and noted lack of free agency), Michelle, you decided to proceed sequentially through elementary school from first through fifth grades. Then came middle school and you struggled against your urge to try seventh before sixth, and then go to eighth. Then of course came ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth just like clockwork-–boom, bam, bing, bong. Now did you stop there? No way, off you flew to thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, fifteen and a hafth and then sixteenth. So now what? Graduation of course! And that is exactly what happened. On April 23 and 24, 2010, like a speck of pepper in a sea of dark blue robes, you distinguished yourself by wearing a cap and gown that looked exactly like everybody else. But we all saw you. We all recognized your beautiful shining hair, your captivating smile, and your energetic wave. (Thank goodness you called us on your cell phone to describe where you were seated.)

After all those years of school, Michelle, I am sure that you are a little nostalgic at the thought of not continuing with those late night studies, the cramming for the tests, the term papers and the challenging lectures. Gone are the days of guessing at the unknown test questions, rushing from class to class, grabbing a quick bite before heading to the library and worrying before the grades are posted. YOU DID IT. YOU GRADUATED FROM BYU! It is better than a trophy. It is something that is yours forever and nobody can ever take it away. It is now a part of who you are. We are all excited for you. In fact we take pride in our part that helped you succeed. (Maybe we even think that you could not have done it without our invaluable help.) But you did it. You could have quit, but you did not. You did it!

Oddly enough, now the real pressure begins. People actually expect you to remember what you learned and put it to good use. Imagine that! In fact some people think that graduation is just the beginning–-the commencement-–of a much larger life long quest. What are they thinking? We of course know better. If you try to put one more fact into that already crammed full brain, it is likely to explode and that would be a real mess--facts and information all over the place. So be very careful. Avoid learning like the plague. Never pick up a book or try to think again!

Congratulations! (Because graduation is only a single event, should I be saying, “Contratulation?” See, as a college graduate you need to know these things.) And . . . there are other rewards to graduating too.

Of course there are advantages to helping even if only a little bit.

Love you tons,

Dad and Mary Lee