In one short month Bethany Love Foreman will graduate high school with honors, many evidenced at the time of this writing as she returned home from the academic awards night, with again enough certificates to make a fan; but this path started long ago.

Bethany was born smiling, the last of the Foreman girls born; but born with a big heart that matches her smile. As a small child she had many ear infections that lead to a delay in speaking clearly. In elementary school in South Range there’s a yearly Christmas play. Due to her trouble with speaking she was given a part with another young girl who was shy and had trouble speaking to crowds. They shared one line and they did fine but there was a bigger story behind that line.

I was told later that she would read to the other girl in class, to work on her speech, and to include the other girl who had some special needs. To hear that your child does a good deed is great but to hear that they did it on their own; that’s even better. Bethany had to deal with her dad coming in as a Germ for the Germbuster’s program and to this day many of her friends remember me as the Germ and for being her dad.

As she grew she tried out for everything, from being a sealion in the Little Mermaid, taking Judo lessons, playing soccer, basketball, volleyball, band for the whole ride, (a percussionist like her dad), and 4-H for years; all before high school. In high school she was active in theatre carving out her own roles, the lead one year, and a cheerleader even when she didn’t have time to do it fulltime.

Can you tell I’m proud?

As a senior she took psychology at Gogebic, (but not from me), and is currently wrapping up Trigonometry; all while working and getting all A’s as a student at Jeffers. Bethany will graduate third in her class, and hopefully with scholarships to help her as she enters Michigan Tech this fall; the best part is she’s going into psychology, not to teach like me, but into forensics to use that great brain to help solve crimes someday.

My heart is aching as I write this so let’s get to what I hope for her as my last child out of the gate.

I made a deal with my girls with the middle names of Hope, Faith, and Love, that if they could go through high school with good grades, no “troubles” (I’ll let you define that), that once they graduate they would be adults in my eyes; still dad’s girls, but women ready for the world. Both of her sisters earned that right, the right to be an adult at 17 in Hannah’s case, (still “adulting” quite well), and Briana at 18 now finishing her second year at Eastern Michigan and also “adulating” well.

Now it’s Bethany’s time to shine, (earned as well), and here’s what I hope happens:

Bethany Love, my youngest, my baby, (no matter how old you’ll get you’ll always be the baby), I trust you to make decisions that make you happy, productive, and content. In four years I hope to sit and watch you get your first degree, and then another, until you’ve reached your goals. Along the way you’ll make friends, (and sadly lose friends), find jobs and lose jobs, find love, and keep it. But remember this, no matter the troubles, the trials, the triumphs and losses, I’ll be there for you to give advice or simply listen.

Now go show life a thing or two; I love you.