Dripping Life May 9

The date was set: May 5, 1999…the day we would meet our first granddaughter.

Needless to say, we arrived at the hospital shortly after our daughter’s labor was induced – around 8 a.m. – and then the excruciatingly unbearable wait began.

For first-time grandparents, let me clue you – during “the wait,” you cannot eat, sleep or divert your attention from the business at hand. There were other family members in the waiting room, but I have never remembered the conversations. No, about the only thing I remember was the very strong pots of coffee my daughter’s brother kept brewing that day – and there were many.

At about 2 p.m., our son mandated we take a break, go home and nap. The baby, he had been told, was hours from making her entrance – or perhaps “exit” is more appropriate. 

Napping for me was a non-starter. So was eating. After an hour, we drove back to the hospital, careful to stay out-of-sight of the maternity waiting room and hanging around the Starbuck’s café instead.

After a respectable amount of time, we returned to the waiting room – and waited.

Then, at 5 minutes until midnight on Cinco de Mayo 1999, our precious Emma arrived. The labor had been tough. Her face was bruised, but she was here and by the next mid-morning, she was in my arms.

Emma graduated from Dripping Springs High School two years ago. An excellent student, she divided her free time between church activities and dance. She was selected to tap dance with Austin’s Tapestry, was a beautiful ballet dancer and loved performing. You could see it. When she danced, she absolutely radiated joy.

With teaching reading to the underserved as her goal, she earned a four-year, full-ride scholarship to Sam Houston State University from the Terry Foundation and jumped into college life with her usual excitement. She’s finishing her sophomore year as an education major in a few days, tutors elementary students in reading and works in an after-school program for fourth-graders sponsored by her church.

After graduation, she plans to teach and begin working on a graduate degree, most likely as a reading specialist. 

I’m telling you about this remarkable young woman because I want to thank you for helping Emma become who she is because I am a card-carrying “It takes a village” believer. It’s because of the pace of life and the people here in Dripping Springs, the quality of Dripping schools, the dedication of Emma’s outstanding teachers and the excellence of the educational opportunity available to DSISD students. Emma’s transition to university life and the demands of the Honors College were a breeze compared to her father’s realizing his daughter would be attending class just a few blocks from the state’s largest penitentiary. 

Parents and their parenting style, grandparents and home environment play a huge role, without a doubt, but it’s more about the time our young people spend outside the home – in school-sponsored extra-curriculars, in the classroom, in the culture of the school they attend, in church-sponsored activities and the academic and faith leadership they experience.

As we approach Emma’s 20th birthday, that day in May 1999, still seems as though it was just yesterday, and like so many seniors in my family would often ask, I am now asking: “Where did the time go?”

So, thank you, Dripping Springs, for your many contributions in shaping this young woman into the talented, joyful citizen she is today. May the adventure continue!

NOTE: I invite you to share your stories about your child or grandchild and how ‘the Dripping Springs Experience’ has shaped their lives. Email me at [email protected].