Hi!

My daughter, Elena, started High School yesterday. It’s a radical departure from her middle school, it’s in a new school district, now takes a school bus (always mom/dads taxi before) and no uniforms. It’s both terrifying and liberating. She did remarkably well her first day.

I posted my Patron Saint of Teachers yesterday, in honor of her big day.

I am thankful for all the wonderful people who choose to be a teacher.

Elena going to high school reminds me of my own high school experience. Angst seems to have an unfortunate place in many a high schoolers heart. Moments of doubt, disappointment and floundering (Who am I? Where am I going? What day is it?). That’s where music came in. My friends and I listened to the Cure, lead singer Robert Smith being tagged “The pope of mope”.

My mom recently underwent knee surgery. After observing the whole process, I am struck by the remarkable strides made in modern medicine, and the incredible pain and suffering that is endured by patients. Knee surgery is notoriously one of the most difficult to recuperate from, and my mom is a beacon of strength and will. Even so, it’s a painful recovery and difficult to watch.

Here’s a few doodles of my mom, from the past:

Mom loves mermaids, so I took the opportunity to merge the two.

A more recent doodle of mom as a cutie toddler.

and I created Super New Knee in her honor:

Anything to make this experience seem more fun is a good thing. Of course, it doesn’t make it more fun. Perhaps you’ll join me in sending prayers of healing and encouragement. The strength she needs to endure this is herculean, but with a little help from prayers and happy thoughts, maybe it can be just a little bit easier. When talking to the man upstairs, or however you pray, her name is MaryAnn.