Graduation Day

One of the students graduating from high school tonight is very special to me.  Almost 10 years ago, I got a call from family vacationing in Florida.  "We've been in a terrible accident.  Please come."  When I and a brother and sister arrived in Florida, our brother was in ICU in one hospital, our 8 year old niece was in ICU in another hospital and our 3 year old nephew was in surgery.  Our sister-in-law, who had been driving, greeted me with, "I almost killed my whole family."  She had been driving the car, and though the accident wasn't her fault, she kept trying to think of ways it could have been avoided.
Ashley, my niece, was permanently paralyzed as a result of the accident.  The fact that it was permanent was hard to accept.  Toward the end of her rehab, about six months after the accident, we went to Shriners hospital in Chicago for a second opinion.  There, our high hopes were dashed in no uncertain terms by a no nonsense team of doctors.  Stunned, we got in a cab and, as we had promised Ashley, went to the American Girl doll store.  You can imagine Mom and Aunt and an 9 year old girl in a wheelchair turned loose in the American Girl doll store after news like that!
Ashley's journey to this graduation day hasn't been easy and the whole family is proud of her accomplishments.  She went to her prom, and her glowing report included the fact that she, "Danced all night."  hmmm
My graduation gift will fulfill promise made during the first hospitalization back in Tampa--a trip to New York City.  (She says she doesn't remember anything from that hospitalization, but she's never forgotten the New York promise.)