Chris Core's Core Values

This week our daughter graduates from high school.  Wow, that was fast.  It seems like only yesterday we stood together waiting at the school bus stop on her first day of school. When  the big yellow vehicle arrived and opened its door, she hopped  on with joy.  Her mom and I, on the other hand, welled up with tears. Then we got into the car and drove behind the bus all the way to school just to “be sure.”  Pretty soon we stopped doing that, just as we learned, eventually, to curb our instinct to reach for her hand whenever we cross a street.

The odd thing is that of course we knew this latest step in her life would arrive.  Eventually.  We knew from the day we brought her home from the hospital that someday she would leave us to make her own way in life.  It’s the natural order of things.  But being forewarned doesn’t make it any easier to cope with now.  She’s moving on.

She’ll graduate on Thursday.  There will be a round of parties.  Then she’ll head off to Bethany for Beach Week (more on that in next week’s column).  When she comes back from the beach, she’s off to Africa for a safari her with her grandparents.  When she returns from Africa, she’ll work at a summer camp for a couple of weeks.  Finally, in late August the three of us will take what will be the most emotional road trip of our lives, the long drive to drop her off at college in North Carolina.

Those of you who have been through this heart-wrenching experience are, I am sure, nodding your head in agreement as you read this and remember.  To those of you who are not yet at this point, I feel compelled to repeat what everybody says, cliché or not: enjoy your children while you can, because the time will pass more quickly than you can imagine.

Oh, and one more thing.  This announcement:  Look out world, here comes Tabitha Core, our most special gift to you.  Her sunny personality and truly kind heart represent the very best  Core Values.