Well Done, Indeed

The Lovely Bride graduated last Friday.

She was in another career for a while. A good long while, in fact, far longer than either of us expected when she first took a job in that field. It paid her well and taught her much and eventually she hated it.

"What would you do if you were getting chased by an alligator and the only way to escape was to climb a tree full of snakes?" she asked me one morning when we used to carpool.

"Boy, sweetheart, I don't know," I answered. "Are you feeling trapped?"

"Maybe a little," she said, turning to stare out the passenger window.

One night many years later she came home and said, "I want to do something else."

"Okay," I said.

"I want to go back to school," she said.

"Okay," I said, quietly panicking inside.

So back to school she went. She kept working, going to school at night and on weekends, working during the day, at first in her old career, then something else closer to home, trading money for flexibility.

"Do you know how long I've been taking classes?" she asked as we were dressing for last Friday's graduation ceremony.

"Forever?" I guessed.

"Almost. Seven of the last eight years."

"Like I said. Forever."

"It wasn't that bad, was it?"

"No," I said. "I really enjoyed every minute I spent with our children."

"Was it really that bad?"

"Sometimes it was."

"Yes, sometimes it was," she said.

"Thank God for our friends," I said. "I would have died without them."

"We are lucky to have our friends," she said.

"Are you glad you went back to school?" I asked.

"Yes," she said. "I love my new profession."

"I bet you're good at it," I said.

"I hope so. I think I am."

"I know you are," I said. "I'm proud of you."

"I love you," said the Lovely Bride.

"I love you too," I said. "Now let's go get you graduated."