My Daughter’s Graduation

My daughter, Ariana, graduated from college this past weekend, which brings with it a tsunami of parental emotions. On one hand I am so proud of and in awe of the incredibly important and hard work that she did, while on the other hand, I am nervous about what comes next.

Over the last four years I have seen Ariana grow and mature from a strong-headed, passionate teenager into a strong-headed passionate woman in her early twenties. At Bard College, where she was an undergraduate, she received about as perfect a liberal arts education as one can find anywhere. She read voluminous amounts to help her think, evaluate, and provide evidence for the voluminous amount of writing she had to do. In the process, she learned how to scrutinize and analyze the ideas of others, while exploring and developing her own thoughts about topics far and wide. And along the way, she learned how to express her ideas by becoming a better writer.

Over the last four years, while I never doubted the importance of her Human Rights major, at times I doubted the practicality of it. As a parent – and I’m sure all parents would agree – I want my child to be financially independent and secure the moment that diploma is in her hand and forever into the future. I’ve thought to myself, although only rarely expressed to Ariana, that she is traveling down a path that may make her life financially difficult. She has expressed to me that she knows this and made a conscious choice to pursue this road.

My trepidation was somewhat softened a few months ago listening to an interview with another Ari, Ari Shapiro, the very successful host of NPR’s All Things Considered. He was describing how he initially got to NPR, by earning an internship with Legal Affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg, all while having no background in law or journalism, and after being previously rejected for another NPR internship. He gave full credit to his undergraduate liberal arts education, which he says taught him how to read, write, and think. Wherever she ends up, I am sure Ariana will use the skills she has learned at Bard to do great and important things.

But enough about the mushy academic and intellectual stuff and on to other life lessons that may be just as important for one to learn in college when living on your own for the first time. I am especially proud of how she has matured in the kitchen.

When Ariana was younger she showed little interest in cooking. I always worried that she (and her brother) would never grow up to spend time cooking. But I was wrong. She found a way to cook with her friends her first two years of college, all while residing in the college dorms. And her culinary skills only expanded and improved when she moved into apartments for her latter two years. Mealtimes became important social events, and her friends always appreciated a good meal. I especially loved getting emergency calls asking how to cook this or that and inquiring about what ingredient could be substituted for another, and I love when she offers to prepare dinner for us when she is home.

Ariana, I am incredibly proud of you. You will encounter stumbling blocks on the path that you have chosen, but there are always barriers in life no matter what road you take. I have no doubt you will be successful wherever you end up, and no matter what life brings, you will always be able to feed yourself and your friends a very tasty meal. Congratulations!

Here are links to a few stories about Ariana and food, including recipes:

A Girl Obsessed – Steak Tacos

College Cooking – Ariana’s Salad Dressing

College Creativity – Ariana’s Black Beans and Rice

How To Get Your Kid To Eat Vegetables – Cream Cheese Dip

My Daughter’s Thanksgiving – Onion, Olive, and Rosemary Focaccia

Soup People – Tortilla Soup

The Great Basil Harvest – Pesto

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