Op-Ed

[H2O Man]

46. Thank you.

I saw two old friends -- the local town historian and his wife -- when I was getting groceries yesterday. We discussed the case, including a couple of interviews I did with area television stations. His wife asked how my youngest daughter was holding up through all of this?

I am admittedly subjective when it comes to my children; each of the four is my "favorite" in various ways. In the past year, I've watched the youngest transform into a powerful young adult. She'll graduate from a community college in May, and then from high school in June. Her GPA is 103.15. She's also a top athlete in three sports. But that isn't really where the transformation is taking place, for she has always been a scholar/athlete.

A little over a year ago, her mother took off, leaving me and our two teen-aged daughters. I do my best, but I believe that girls that age need a mother. They do better with two stable parents. Her older sister is in college now, doing a semester in Asia. So it's my youngest and I here now, in a house that had from six to ten inhabitants for most of her life. Finances have gone from reasonably comfortable, to rather tight. (Her mother, who feels no obligation to provide support, made an offer of $5 a month -- for two teens -- in court.)

My daughter has really stepped up. All three of her siblings are mighty proud of her. You might notice that her father is, too. Since the shooting, she's been outstanding in providing emotional support for our extended family. And that gives me energy to keep on keeping on.

One of her college courses is an introduction to the legal system. Last week, when I was picking her up in the evening, I got a chance to talk to a couple of her classmates. They are hoping that my cousin's case will be the one that they get to attend for class. While any case would provide a good experience for these bright young adults, they feel more of a connection to this one. I loved the questions that they asked me about it. This, too, keeps me going.