Not every tear is one of sadness and despair. For each one cried in sorrow, the ones that fall in happiness are all that much more precious.

Silently, Irene passed a tissue to her crying friend. She’d had one of her ‘feelings’ that more than a few would be needed today and made certain her purse was well supplied.

Although Cathilynn often teased her about being ready for anything, Irene did her best to stay prepared. She guessed you could take the girl out the Army, but not take the Army out of girl. Simply too many years spent training to stay ready for anything. Even that was easier than trying to take the girl out the boy.

Irene found out the hard way that, no matter how many hills she climbed, rivers she crossed, and regardless of the number of times she put her life at risk, the girl was here to stay. Strangely, now that once she accepted that simple truth, her intuition, if you wanted to call it that, was sharper and more accurate than ever. Maybe it was all because she cared and trusted herself now that she’d given up pretending to be someone she never was to begin with.

Smoothly, she placed a tissue in Sandra’s hand, as the weeping woman nodded gratefully. Irene wiped her own eyes, thankful she’d worn her waterproof mascara today. All of their eyes were riveted on the scene taking place in front of them.

“Michelle Richmond,” announced the speaker.

Tears poured like a waterfall from all of them seated together.

A tall, slender, smiling girl stepped forward to receive her diploma.

Cathy held onto her hand so tight Irene began to worry about circulation. She leaned over, whispering as ‘their’ girl proudly descended the stage, “This is what makes it all worth it!”

Irene could only nod. Two years ago Michelle came to them, a dropout with nothing but the clothes on her back. It took two years of ups and downs, but she’d made it up there onto that stage. And this was only the beginning because Michelle was already accepted to begin her fall term at State U. A success that’d earned a big party for the new graduate when they all got back to their Home.

A Home for them all that a hard headed, sometimes crabby, old woman named Cathilynn had built almost with her own bare hands. It seemed, at times, that the whole world was filled with holier than thou, opinionated bigots that fought them for every girl and boy they managed to pull out of some hopeless situation. Cathy often complained that it would be easier wrestling alligators than to change the minds of some of the (insert colorful metaphor) she had to deal with. Neither one had to mention that for each one they saved that another was forever lost; another candle in the Home’s garden on the Day Remembrance.

Finding her voice, Irene whispered back. “You ready to jump back in the water with the alligators?

Sobbing in her tissue, her eyes shining, Cathy grinned, “You damn right I am. Let‘s go Home!”