Father's Day

Today I am thankful for having the opportunity to congratulate the Carleton Class of 2013 on their graduation this weekend! I have been so blessed to have gotten to spend more time with them and see them shine in their senior year, and I wish them all the best. Notes distributed (that were perhaps partially written during the graduation ceremony... Let's be honest, multi-tasking as Carleton's second PhD honoree moved through poem part 5 out of 8 was a good call...), snacks consumed, memories shared, hugs given, well-wishes exchanged. I'm thankful that a few of my Class of 2012 were able to come back for the ceremony and time with these grads as well, and it was wonderful to see them and especially hang out with one of my beloved housemates again to speak of life updates and recent revelations. I'm thankful to have been once again inspired by the potential Carleton has instilled in its graduates, and I'm grateful for having had the opportunity to have pursued my undergrad education there to be prepared with as much knowledge, analytical skill, flexibility of thought, drive, and compassion as I can muster. Thank you, Carleton, and peace, love, and strength to the next crop of amazing graduates!

And on Father's Day, I'm so thankful for my dad, and I also want to thank all the parents out there who are making strong commitments to their children, whether they be "nuclear families," same-sex couples, single parents, or however your family looks. Some families have more struggles than others, some feel pain/anger/remorse today, and I am amazed by the resilience of single parents who take on the world and kids who try despite less-than-ideal home life. May we all try to encourage our communities to invest in our kids so that they all have a beautiful father and mother figure in their life, no matter who that may be. Maybe you've been lucky to have several! My church community has been filled with adults who have been my village, but I am so lucky to have a dad that I can talk about anything with or spend any amount of time with, even if we're not really doing anything at all (which really means we should be playing ping-pong). He is the most kind, caring, hardworking, humble, and selfless person I know, and even though he still jokingly tells others "I want to be like her when I grow up!," I'm dearly hope I'm even one bit like him.

I'm thankful my dad has been around. I'm thankful for his commitment to raising, loving, and supporting me, and I am also thankful that my dad and I have had the privilege of being born in this country. I am thankful that he has had great support from his family, has been able to pursue higher education, and has been able to pursue a career that he is interested in and can use to make a living to support and sustain his family. I am beyond grateful that he did not have to flee violence or economic hardship in their place of birth, and that I do not have to live in fear of him being deported for making this country his home despite lack of legal approval to reside here. This is a story not often told in our society today, but it is the reality that 12 million undocumented people could have or have had a brother, father, sister, mother, other relative, or friend deported. My dad contributes to his community, just as many immigrants do, and today, there is a movement to call on our legislators to fix our immigration system and stop families from being torn apart; to stop hardworking dads who love and provide for their families from being deported after sacrificing so much for more opportunities here. I am sure many are reflecting on what their fathers have meant to them today would encourage you to take a few minutes to read these stories and advocate for just immigration reform so that families can remain united and pursue their dreams in this country that they call home: http://dontdeportmydad.org/

Blessings.