John Samford's Blog

DANIEL’S GRADUATION

Well, here we sit, dinner’s done
It’s time to drink a toast
But I can’t pass up this precious chance
To give my son a roast

Now this is something Daniel has earned
An honor he richly deserves
From the moment he was born
He’s certainly had some nerve

He drove his Big Wheel like a nut
Played sports with reckless abandon
We often went to emergency rooms
And sometimes he threw tantrums

When he was older but not wiser
He and Travis tried to freeze the roads
They hosed the street at the junior high
In hopes the school would close

And what about the time they took
Laura Lee’s jeep for a spin
They didn’t think I noticed
As they gently rolled it back in

Taking a flask to the Junior High
Now that was really cool
Grahame could have told them
You shouldn’t drink at school

But I’ve watched him compete in every sport
We’ve spent nights on the boat together
We’ve travelled by raft and by canoe
And by horseback in cold stormy weather

And through all the excitement
I knew this day would come
When I would have the honor
of toasting my only son

I bought this port when Daniel was born
It’s vintage Nineteen Eighty
It’s grown and aged for 18 years
And finally it’s ready

The wine is mature and in its prime
And just like each of you
It has come a long way already
But it has a great future too

So now I’m pleased to honor you all
For your recent graduation
And I propose a toast tonight
To say congratulations

But we’re not just here to honor
Your accomplishments to date
We’re here to toast the future
As we send you on your way