Congratulations, Allison!

My kid sister graduated from college today. She finished Holy Family University with a degree in Psychology. We're all grateful for that, because it means that the Earp family is three-for-three with college grads. Me from Saint Joseph's University, Randal from Drexel University, and Allison from HFU.

It wasn't easy for my sister - she was in a very serious auto accident in high school that left her on a ventilator - but she worked very hard for everything there. She earned very good grades in her last two years as she juggled school and two jobs. Her determination made me especially proud, because I helped raise her. She is sixteen years my junior, and while my parents worked a lot of overtime to pay the bills, I bore the burden of feeding, burping, and changing her.

I tell her now that she ruined my high school social life, and she comes back with, "Like you had a social life in high school." She has a point. My sister is all grown up, and while I feel like an old man today, I could not be more proud.

It's hard to believe that she was once this little blond 6-year old:

Congratulations, Al! We're all very proud of you!