"I am done."

That is the text that went out to a few people yesterday, at about 1:30, as I sat in my car with the A/C blasting on my tear-streaked face.

I didn't cry until the very last minute--when I went to say "see ya" to my colleague Larry, who has been so incredibly supportive these two years. Once I'd started, I couldn't stop until after I'd said my goodbyes to the office staff and turned in my keys.

Part of the crying was from sadness and fear, of course...but mostly just from relief. Two years of stress, frantic fundraising and emotional ups and downs boiled down to three words sent via text from the DVHS parking lot.

And bless my friends and family. Almost immediately my phone rang, and my overworked, super-busy girl Heather was on the other end. She couldn't talk long--she was at work--but she wanted to make sure I was okay.

When I hung up with her, there was a text waiting from Dad: "Hip hip hooray." That's all that needed to be said.

As I type this, graduation is going on. I am not there. My former kids are singing a couple of songs with their new choir director. I am at Mom and Dad's house, mostly rested after a three-hour nap this afternoon.

I am done. All is well.