By Samantha McKenzie

I’ll be the mom arriving early for graduation, sitting as close to the stage as I can get, ready to see my middle child, my oldest daughter, Tahirah Angela Hargrove, graduate from college this morning. I’ll be in the audience bubbling over with emotions, happy that my little girl has grown into a beautiful young woman who is capable of applying her intellect, seeking out solutions and developing a muscle of discipline – because that’s what it took for her to get through four years of higher education.

I won’t be the only one. I’ll be joined by countless other families who made sacrifices they never imagined they’d have to make to see this day.

I will be one of the thousands of parents who scraped together tuition, kept a look out for scholarship dollars, begged for one more day, and waited for that financial aid to come through.

I will be among millions of parents who are thanking God for protecting their young, because we all remember the dumb decisions we made when we were in school. Amen.

 

I’ll be sending up another prayer for all the graduates who are stepping into their future with passion, purpose and power. If you know a graduate, congratulate them. It. Was. A. Long. Haul. But they made it.

Congratulations to Ariel, Imani and Tahirah. This is your time. Continue to let your light shine and use your gift to change the world. We are all very proud of you!