my ioanna,

It must be boring having me as a father. Every day, or at least every other day: “I’m proud of you.”

It must get tired. Or old. But I am old. Or a try to be. I’m at the very least exhausting.

But truth to tell it is exhausting to have you as a daughter. You succeed every time. Valedictorian. Jesus Christ, what do I say to that? Ok, let’s get a grip, let’s start somewhere.

you started out sitting on the couch in our home talking non-sense. This dramatic change. And there were dramatic changes, hard changes, difficult choices, but also transformation. You went in wanting to pick, and heal, people’s brains: you came out of it an artist and wanting to share the power of art as a teacher.

This was not a small feat, despite everything, your core did not change. Despite the hardship and disappointments, you still want to give and have found a viable way to give without compromising yourself.

Maybe that’s the lesson to be learned here, you sacrificed without compromise. You figured out the logistics and are factoring a way through. There is a beautiful logic there that I am… dammit, I’m going to say it again, proud of.

You see, you must be sick of it. Not my fault. It’s all on you.

You should be proud.

Love,
me