When people think of a blog, they often imagine a sort of online diary.  I've avoided that here, mostly because my day to day life is not especially interesting.  I suppose if I was a really good writer I could make it sound interesting, but I'm not.  Or I don't.  Or something.

However, today was a very special day.  Today my son graduated from college.  With honors.

Now that's a big achievement in anyone's life, and a big event in any family.  But just a few years ago I had pretty much given up hope of anything like this -- for a while there it was doubtful whether he would finish high school.  Even when he did finish, he was pretty aimless for quite a while.  He got a job waiting tables, and took a couple of junior college classes, maybe finished one each semester.  It took time, some more maturity on his part, an ultimatum of sorts from me and probably the influence of a girlfriend he was quite serious about, to get him on any sort of a track at all.

His degree is a Bachelor of Science in Culinary Management.  It is a combination of culinary arts and restaurant management -- which is mostly basic business management.  The coolest thing about him graduating is that, as we celebrated with dinner in a very nice restaurant, he just came to life talking about the service and the food at the restaurant -- what was good, what could have been better, how they put the food on the plates differently than at the restaurant where he works.  He has a good start on a career that he really loves. 

And, he has been working nearly full time while finishing school.  He just bought himself a new car -- his first significant purchase that I didn't have to be involved in.  (Apparently his credit is even better than mine!)  He's looking for an apartment, his first time really living away from home.  He really has grown up.

Most importantly, he is an honest and kind person.  A good and loyal friend.  A lot of fun to have around.

Parenting just doesn't get any better than this.

(Oh, my other son is cool too.  I'll give him equal time soon.)