My daughter graduates from high school tomorrow.  You know, the little girl that cluttered my house with Beanie Babies and My Little Ponies; the little girl that was inconsolable when "Timmy" her caterpillar died; the little girl that has sprinkled a mix of chaos and sunshine in every corner of my life.

It's been interesting when I've mentioned to people that my daughter is graduating.  It's almost always met with, "What is she going to do now?"  and is usually closely followed by a resume of Harvard graduates, getting accepted into law school, getting an internship with a prestigious firm somewhere.  We do love to brag about our children. 
I love the look on their faces when I get to say, "She's going to go live a beautiful life." 
"Is she going to college?" 
"No, not right now....maybe not ever." 
"What is she going to do????"
Again, I get to say...."She's going to go live a beautiful life."
How do I know this?  Because of all of the things I know about in my life, and there are a couple, one of the things I know best, is my daughter.  In her eyes, in her soul, in her face...there is a gentleness right behind the sarcasm and the foul mouth, there is a kindness right behind the laughter over the kid that ate shit on the skateboard in front of the house, there is an incredible STRENGTH right behind the question mark that is at the end of the "What is she going to do?"
She craves life, she has a depth of understanding that I envy, and she understands that SHE controls her destiny....she understands that the important things in life aren't things, they are moments, strings of moments....they are people, both good and bad that impact our paths and our lives.  She understands at 18 freaking years old.....so yeah, my girl is going to live a beautiful life and I'm going to brag about it anyone that will listen.