A Window Into The Soul

Every now and then, a moment occurs, and if you pay close enough attention, you get to witness something so genuine in someone that it feels as though you are peering beyond the physical world and into the depths of the best version of our humanity.

This is a public shoutout to my daughter, Ava. Not long ago, we had a moment of celebration for Graham, who was accepted into his high school of choice. For a while, it didn't look promising. We had been preparing for plans C, D, and F. Needless to say, it was a monumental moment for which we had all prayed for and, to be honest, sweated. Graham, perhaps more than any of us. The announcement unfolded as follows...

I was in the middle of a Zoom meeting with a close friend, diligently working on how to set up formulas for some analytics. As we were engrossed in conversation and calculations, my phone rang. Glancing down, I noticed the incoming call was from a 720 number, a Denver local.

I usually avoid answering calls from unknown numbers, but it was local, and I hadn't set up my voicemail in over a decade, so it made sense to answer. Assuming it might be the doctor's office trying to schedule my annual physical, which they had been attempting for months, I answered the call with a touch of curiosity.

It wasn't the doctor but the admissions director from Graham's school of choice. Once he identified himself, I prepared for the nail in the coffin. A wave of relief washed over me as the dreaded words never came. Instead, I found myself in a state of shock and gratitude. "We'd like to extend Graham an offer to attend our school," he said. I couldn't believe it and immediately tried to call Lynn. She was in meetings, so it took a while to connect. I refused to text her the information, so I had to be patient. But when we did, I struggled to get the words out. So, I did what many guys do: I attempted to make a joke. As the words came, Lynn couldn't hold back her tears. It was indeed a great day.

We decided to keep the news a secret and share it with Graham over dinner. I planned to send him a screenshot of the acceptance email I received after the call when we sat down. This way, he could react privately, while we would have the chance to witness his reaction.

As Graham read the message, a look of disbelief crossed his face, quickly turning into pure joy and happiness. He laughed and celebrated in shock. For whatever reason, at that moment, I glanced over at Ava.

Without hesitation, Ava leaped out of her seat next to me, her face immediately streaking with the most enormous tears I've ever seen from her, and I've seen a few. These were tears of relief, joy, and love. She was celebrating and deeply happy for her brother. Although it had nothing to do with her, it meant everything to her. Siblings compete not only with each other but also for attention. This was a pure, in-the-moment reaction, displaying love and selflessness.

I was proud. Proud of the love so deep it couldn't be hidden, and proud of our family's culture. None of us are perfect; we all have our flaws, but in that moment, I saw the best of a person, and it happened to be my daughter. This will be a moment I'll never forget, not only for the sheer joy and excitement I saw in Graham but also for the love and care I saw in Ava.