Sunday, October 14, 2007

My eldest (My Sacred Life, Sunday)

Today, as I think back to a day a bit more than 21.5 years ago when this person first came into my life--she had been inside her mother getting ready for her debut for most of a year before that day in early March of 1986--I know, more because of her than any other human being, the meaning of unconditional love.

She was the first of four amazingly strong, beautiful women we created. While the mother and I have long since parted ways, those daughters are a common thread between us which will always be there.

Today is a special day for Aubrie. She performs her formal recital today, which is the culmination of all she has learned (and endured, I'm sure she would want me to mention) in her time at the University of Denver as a classical voice major.

She is a senior at DU. It has been a time for her of astonishing growth crammed into such a short period of time. She had the chance to spend almost half a year in Europe last year, studying in Vienna as she participated in a program DU supports which creates such opportunities for undergrads. I'm sure that time will be precious to her always in her memory, as she learned as much outside of class as inside.

She was able to travel a good bit while going to school in Vienna, and the broadening of her world view can only be seen as a positive addition to her life experience. And, should you ever talk to Aubrie, make sure you ask about Helga. She is Aubrie's angel of mercy, always available to help when she most needed it. When Aubrie was sick, it was Helga who had the magic cure. A lifelong friend of Julia's--Helga came to the United States as a foreign exchange student and lived with Julia's family when both were in high school--she was the surrogate parent who not only showed Aubrie around Vienna and treated Aubrie as her long-missed daughter, she also made it her mission to see that Aubrie had everything she needed...even if Aubrie didn't know she needed it! That's Helga: the provider of all you need, know it or not!

All the times Aubrie has struggled are the steps upon which her triumph we see and hear today is built. Just as we all come to learn from, and leverage, our past misadventures, Aubrie, today, brings home the magic.

Today, my sacred life Sunday is devoted to my daughter, Aubrie.

This video was taken during her recital a few hours ago.

14 comments:

Julie said...

Wow - congratulations. You must be very proud and rightfully so!

Deborah said...

WOW!!

patti said...

Bravo! What a talent your daughter is. No wonder you are so proud.

Anonymous said...

I echo the above...WOW! What a gift...what a voice...what a daughter! What a proud papa!

Jane said...

This is wonderful! What a nice moment for a very proud dad!

Kim said...

And you should be so proud!

Sphincter said...

Jeez Louise! That's amazing! Congrats all around--she must have had lots of support in order to achieve this level of excellence.

Lil said...

Aw Rick, how puffed and proud you sound of your daughter's accomplishments! And her voice...breathtaking!! Even I can understand the sacredness of this moment...

Lil

Monique Kleinhans said...

What a wonderful post! and what a wonderful celebration of a beautiful gifted young woman.

Jane said...

Hi Rick,

I just took that personal DNA test and here's what it says about me. Kind of scary how dead-on it is!

You are an Advocating Artist.
personalDNA
about you
You are an Artist

Your appreciation of beauty, ability to think abstractly, and innovativeness make you an ARTIST.

Never one to be tied to a particular way of doing things, you let your imagination guide you in discovering different possibilities.

You would rather seek out new experiences than stick to your everyday habits, taking in as much of the world as possible.

Your eye for beauty and your willingness to consider different perspectives make your creative efforts interesting—even though you may not realize this yourself.

You prefer to think about things before voicing your opinion, considering a wide, diverse range of options.

While there are forms and styles that you prefer, you tend to keep an open mind when it comes to your artistic preferences.

You are curious about things, interested in the "why" more than the “how.”

You have an active imagination that leads you express yourself in a distinct way.

You're not one to force your positions on a group, and you tend to be fair in evaluating different options.

You're well-attuned to your emotional state, and not afraid to use your feelings to guide you. You tend to be cooperative, rarely contradicting others, and always considerate of their feelings.

Generally, you believe that you control your life, and that external forces only play a limited role in determining what happens to you.

Melissa said...

Beautiful and moving! Sweetness, the voice of an angel!

Anonymous said...

I just found your blog, by way of Happy Luau, and decided to watch the video - I'm glad I did. Your daughter is so talented - she has a lovely singing voice! This was such a beautiful tribute to your love for her.

The Dream said...

This totally touched my heart - what a lovely woman she is ... good job on that one, Rick! What a blessing!

Rick Hamrick said...

Thanks to you all for stopping by and allowing me this moment of dad-bragging!

Tinker--glad you found this little corner and watched the video, and I'll stop by your place later.

Jane--while I only know you from our connection via the blogosphere, I have to agree that your DNA description sounds just like the Jane I know!