valeria out loud

Hello everyone! Hope you are doing well. Having a great June thus far.

It’s June… 😇 💩 … how did we already get six months deep into 2024?! Wow. But yes , it’s June. Which is the time of year when every moment I go outside the pine pollen covers me -and every single thing in its path- green!! Blerg! It’s disgusting -though fun to hose off every night. I’m obviously kidding. 😉

Sooo guys. I am here to share this Monday’s graduation!!

Let’s do this…

Monday was a day of immense pride and joy for my family as we gathered to celebrate my oldest daughter’s High School graduation. My first baby. 😊.

My daughter’s a great kid. Brains. Character. Charisma. Humor. Emotionally intelligent. Kind. I love her to bits and her journey to graduate has been a wonder to watch. She had started high school four years ago during the pandemic, a challenging time for all but especially for our kids. Yet, she navigated -had some bumps but gained perspective and steamed ahead the best ways she knew how. She made tons of friends. Her hard work paid off, earning her National Honors and excelling in her AP courses. She consistently demonstrated excellence in her academics, and we couldn’t be prouder of her achievements. She earned this day!

The ceremony was great. From the seating arrangements to the stage setup, everything was beautifully executed. I kissed and hugged so many parents. It was all too real. Hearing the commencement music gave me chills as I watched all the graduates dressed in their blue caps and gowns. It was wonderful to see the excitement on their faces, the culmination of years of dedication and effort. My daughter luckily was seated on our side of the arena, so we were able to gesture back n forth the whole time. I had a lil too much fun signaling to her.

Emotions ran high throughout the ceremony. There were tears …maybe I ugly cried once. Maybe. It was just such a beautiful feeling celebrating life’s significant moments together with my family.

A particularly special moment for me, speaking of togetherness- was having my dad with us. He has Parkinson’s Disease. Though his diagnosis is of a slow progressive form of the disease.. his diagnosis was four years ago and now he is 84, and unfortunately, his body and abilities are starting to change. I try not to think about this because I can break down over it easily. Like right now, I am trying to think above the pain. So to make sure that my parents both wouldn’t miss out on this day, I bought my dad a transport wheel chair last minute. I just wanted to ensure ease to get him into the huge arena without struggling. It worked out so well! Seeing his smile as he watched his first grandchild walk across the stage was priceless and added to the emotional richness of my day.

After the ceremony, we gathered outside the arena, taking countless photos to capture this special day. The smiles, the hugs, and the shared stories made it a day to remember. I love all these kids. Seeing them in their blue caps n gowns hurt a touch. Though. My daughter was ecstatic!

And that was it. We went back to our house for a championship toast and dinner …but the big bash is this Saturday!! Woo!

🥂 Here’s to celebrating milestones, cherishing family moments, and looking forward to a future filled with promise and hope. Congratulations to the Class of 2024!

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Well now that my work day is officially over, I have to run to get the house in order for Saturday. Talk to you soon!

Take care, guys.