My girls make me so damn proud, I just love to brag on them. Wee Ciara (at almost 11 she is tiring quickly of this nickname.....LOL) just made honor roll the first time she was eligible. She is feeling pretty good about herself. She sings in a Choral group, has any number of 1st and 2nd place medals in Stepdancing competition, loves to play volleyball, and spoils her old man shamelessly. She refuses to play the "clique" game and makes her judgements about who she hangs with on the basis of how they act, not what they wear. The kid goes out of her way to make friends with folks who look like they need one. And she is just one of three that are like this. My oldest, Cass (26), is one of the finest people I know. She is still struggling with who she is, and what she wants to do with her life, but this is a great human being. I watch her wrestle with life in the 21st century, and watch how people react to her, she is such a great person. And a heart of gold. Yep, I am so proud to be her Da. And most importantly, I really like who she is. My middle daughter, Liz (24), is the mother of my first grandchild, the formidable Uasal (Mr.) Conor. She works so hard at being a great parent, and doing the best job she can with her career. She also has a heart of gold, and cares about what is right and what is wrong. What a wonderful young woman.
They are great kids. It isn't that they don't have problems, and they make some major mistakes. But what makes me like them, and admire them, is that no matter what they face today, tomorrow they will be right back in the race. They will lead with their heart, and when it gets bruised, they will grieve and cry. And when they are done with that, the next day they will lead with it again. They understand that it is a journey with no end, and that every day you stay on the path, you grow.