Chapter Twenty-One

Saturday morning we wake up at Katelyn’s house. Christine, Sarah and Lillian came into town last night and we have all three of our girls together. There is a lot of juggling of bathrooms, mirrors, blow dryers and hair straighteners. The sounds of three girls getting gussied up for the day. I alternate between irritation at how slow everyone is moving and happiness of the moment. I try and concentrate on how blessed I am but really, move your butts. Katelyn has been having nightmares that she starts to walk across the stage and Ken Starr says, hold on a minute, you aren’t on the list. My mom calls and she and dad are already at the venue and warn the seats are filling up fast. I want to go with Katelyn, but for some reason we don’t and my agitation increases. FINALLY in a car and I’m shaking. Ken suggests a ½ a pill. Perfect.

The graduates enter the stadium from all four corners. I am trying to find Katelyn in the sea of black, green and gold. My nephew Donnie spots her, eighteen rows back, second from the end of the center section. Right next to the interpreters for the deaf. Music is played, prayers are lifted, speakers go on and on. And then the names start being read. Row after row. Beautiful child after beautiful child. There are a couple of large screens and as each graduate's name is called their sweet faces are projected for all to see. Some make funny faces, one young lady has written I love you mom on her hand and flashes it to the crowd. A young man mouths Thank you Daddy. A star basketball player gets a rousing ovation from his fellow students. Even without the announcement you can tell who the theater arts graduates are. 


As each row rises, names are verified from a list and radioed up to the diploma guardians. They make sure the correct diploma is given to President Starr for the correct graduate. As Katelyn’s row rises for their turn, there seems to be a delay. The list checker keeps checking the list, Katelyn and girl in front of her are very focused on the list checker. Katelyn’s shoulders rise up and stay. A signal she is nervous. The row ahead of them is almost all done at the stage and still Katelyn’s row is standing in place. And then the row is moving, and is lined up next to the stage. Whatever snagged the works was worked out. And there she is on the big screen. Katelyn Erin Price. Handshake, green tube with diploma exchanges hands, a long walk across the stage, and tassel moved from one side to the other. Katelyn Erin Price is now a Baylor alumni. Masters and Doctorates are awarded, more music and then we are all funneling out the door.

Glorious day of celebration. Katelyn is surrounded by her friends and family and no one can stop grinning. Ken and Katelyn roll out the diploma and Ken can’t hold in the tears any longer. They hold each other close and then wipe the tears off each other’s faces. Thank you God for this moment. I will cherish it forever. 

I ask Katelyn about the delay with her row. She and the girl in front of her were in fact not on the list. After several tense, gut wrenching moments, the list checker realized he had the wrong row’s list.

Thank you God for the many blessing of this day. Now, we head to East Texas to welcome a grandbaby.

Work, stress, anxiety, and depression are a lifetime away from today. I am blessed.