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My father died on a Tuesday morning. He might have been feeling like he was going to go soon, but he ended up making it another month after my ceremony.
The day of my graduation had been a pretty uneventful one. My father had only recently been released from the hospital. Because he was constantly not feeling well, he had a home health aide that came to the house to take care of him. Her name was Ingrid, and she was a nice woman who really seemed passionate about what she did.
The graduation ceremony was held on a weeknight during the evening. There were about 40 or so of us in total. They explained that no one had failed the GED exam and that we’d all be marching. When I’d gotten my score back, I was happy. Not only had I passed but I’d managed to get the top score. School had never really been my thing, so doing well on that test really meant a lot. My father almost cried when I told him about it. It also meant a lot to make him proud.
He’d dressed up to attend the ceremony. He’d even got there early so that he could grab a seat in the front. It wasn’t a traditional service, but they did at least call our names and have us each come up. When my name was called, my father cheered the loudest. I nearly cried because it had been so long since I’d seen him full of life. When I got off the stage, he grabbed me in his arms gave me the tightest hug that I’d ever received. He just kept telling me that he loved me and was proud of me. It was as moment that I would never forget.
My father’s death had hurt me, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I guess that all those months of him talking about it had really prepared me for it. I almost knew it was going to happen that last time he went into the hospital. I usually spent the night there with him, but he’d told me to go home that evening. When the doctors called me the next day, I already knew why before I picked up the phone. I cried my eyes out but showed up a couple of hours later to collect his things.
The funeral was the hardest part. I’d made the necessary calls to family and told them what happened. They came from all over to show love and support.
True to his word, Desmond had really stepped up and had become one of my closest friends. He’d even come to my father’s funeral with his girlfriend, Jennifer, just to support me and be by my side. It meant a lot to have him there.
I’d made a lot of mistakes in my life, and I usually tended to blame other people. I’d learned that I couldn’t do that though. It wasn’t until I put things into perspective that I really figured out what was important. I stopped holding on to my dreams of returning to acting. It had been fun while it lasted, but the damage that it had done to my life had been a lot to recover. I now had a new dream. Desmond helped me realize that what people really needed was someone to talk to. I’d decided shortly after graduation that I wanted to go to college and start down the path of becoming a therapist. I knew it would take time, but I was ready for it. I was ready for anything.