Another Graduation

My son, Luke, is graduating today. He has come a long way, and I'm proud of him.

Some kids teach you more than others, and I've definitely learned a lot from Luke. His life has not been easy. We were in a life-threatening car accident two weeks before he was born, so the first thing I learned from him is gratitude. Life is a precarious thing, and I no longer take it for granted.

After he was born, he was sick to his stomach on an almost daily basis. It took us a few years to find a doctor who solved the problem--Luke had gluten intolerance. From this experience, I learned the power of prayer and a good doctor. I now know that we are our own best medical advocates. I also learned how to prepare many gluten-free foods.

Once Luke started school, he presented me with another challenge. Let's just say he was not a traditional learner. He hated worksheets and loved to daydream. His teachers weren't too concerned because he never disturbed the other students and his test scores were always good. But after watching him do nothing in school for several years, I decided he needed something different. I got him into a charter school that focused on active learning. Thanks to caring teachers and his own persistence, he eventually got to the point where he did his schoolwork. He even got his GPA high enough to earn the good student discount on our auto insurance.

Luke continues to teach me. He loves to study scientific topics and lately has built his own blacksmithing forge. Right now, he's planning to become a police officer, but he also plans to learn how to weld.