AUGUST 5, 2026

“’We’ll be Friends Forever, won’t we, Pooh?’ asked Piglet.
‘Even longer,’ Pooh answered.”

–A.A. Milne, Winnie The Pooh.

Holland leaves this morning for law school. She is returning to Dallas, Texas, and will matriculate at The Dedman School of Law, at Southern Methodist University. English and I are so proud of her.

This Summer was very special for us, as we got to spend so much time with our daughter. It has been such a long time since Summers were uninterrupted family time. What with studies in Europe, trips to New England, Summer jobs, and the like, we have not been able to spend much uninterrupted time with Holland. Indeed, since Holland was 13 years old, and went off to enroll at St. Timothy’s in Baltimore, time together has been sporadic–fun and welcome–but always too brief. Again, this was a very special Summer.

And it will likely be the last Summer we get to enjoy with Holland. After the completion of her 1st academic year in law school, there will be clerkships where she will learn the difficult task of actually practicing law. We do not know where she will be headed, but the beauty of SMU is that the world is her oyster. She could successfully seek employment throughout Texas, California, the Southeast, and the Northeast. She might end up in Dallas, San Francisco, Chicago, Nashville, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York, or Boston. The possibilities are endless. And none of them will involve Clarke County, even if she pursues employment in Washington, D.C. Clarke County has been her home; it is not her future.

This is going to be an exciting next chapter in Holland’s life. I have counseled her to seek the best possible job in the best possible legal market. When you are a young lawyer, it is the time to commit yourself to your profession, to learning the craft, perfecting and gaining skills, doing new things, and forsaking a comfortable life in the near term, in order to secure your future. I am confident that she will take my advice. And I am confident she will succeed.

Our little girl is all grown up. She will be making her own way in the world now. But even if she finds herself far away from our little corner of the Commonwealth, with a high powered job, a family of her own, and responsibilities that demand her full attention, Holland knows that she will always have a home with us too. She will always be welcome. She will always be loved. She will always be our little girl.

GOOD LUCK HOLLAND! Eat more tacos, but please . . . drink less beer.

GFK