Last night, my daughter, a coloratura soprano, stood on the stage in this picture, in front of that piano, and delivered an absolutely spectacular senior recital. She sang songs in five different languages, demonstrating an incredible vocal range, beautiful resonance, perfect pitch control, a wide range of dynamics, and captivating stage presence. It was stunning! The Italian aria she sang was definitely my favorite, but every song was unique, special, and as I mentioned, spectacular!

My wife, son-in-law, son, and daughter-in-law were all there as well, along with a host of other people I did not know. All to support the amazing person who took the stage. The young lady who accompanied her on piano is exceptionally talented, as well. Last night, watching her play, it was as if the piano were an extension of her very being. That kind of mastery doesn’t happen without incredible dedication! Our daughter also enlisted several of her classmates to sing with her on a crowd-pleasing favorite from Les Miserables – a song she has been heard singing around the house since her preteen years. This, too, was spectacular – and a lot of fun to witness!

It all ended with a standing ovation, a lot of bowing, an exit, some more applause, and then a final exit stage right. Then that was it. Over. A truly astounding culmination of a lifetime’s preparation!

This makes proud dad moment 57,693,231 for me. Yeah, I made that number up. But I’ve had SO many opportunities to see my kids excel in life – in large and small ways! And that’s saying something. It’s a blessing to be in their lives at all, given my life choices and where they could’ve taken me, but for the grace of God! I’m incredibly grateful, and blessed. There’s been a lot of things I have not gotten right in this life, and I can’t even say being a “good dad” is something I have always done well. But yeah… I am so very thankful for the good moments, and this ranks up there at the top of a growing list!

With the completion of this recital, my daughter finished the vocal performance requirements of her degree. That stage right exit marks a significant milestone, and a big change ahead. She still has some schooling to complete, but things will be different now – in ways she cannot yet understand. But what she accomplished will pave the way to knowing she can continue to do hard things, and she has the fortitude to persevere. That is something no one can ever take away!