I have been faithful to thee, Cynara, in my fashion


She boogied into my life on April 5th, 1976. She waltzed from the halls of Wellesley on June 1st, 2006 with a degree in geology. She has held my heart in her capable hands all this time with my enthusiastic consent and has filled me not only with love, but pride and admiration. Pride in the little girl who was and in the total woman she has become. Admiration for the way she goes about her life and the motivations that inspire her journey.

Rarely are parents pleased with what their children become. They often disapprove of their values and are disappointed with their choice of lifestyle and career. I had no such ambitions. The burden I placed on my daughter was at once both simple and somewhat daunting. I wanted her to become exactly who she was and be exactly what she wanted to be within her own scope of reference and as a result of her own encounter with trial and error. Although this sounds ideally liberal, it can be quite disconcerting for one seeking boundaries and guidelines. I needn’t have worried.

She is today one of the finest individuals I know in every respect, and if she were not my daughter, I would wish that she were. Here’s to you, Cynara Cannatella. You have made my life so very worth while.

Love,

Dad