From the Editor

FROM THE EDITOR

June is a month for celebration and recognition. Father’s Day, graduations, Pride, and Juneteenth all fall in this month – not to mention the official start of summer. Summer has always been my favorite time of year due to the warm weather (yes, I’m one of the few people who actually enjoys the heat!), longer days, the numerous outdoor events that take place in Benicia and the surrounding Bay Area, and the generally care-free feeling that comes with the season – undoubtedly ingrained in us in childhood by the hallowed summer break from school.

As Father’s Day is upon us, I’d like to take a moment to highlight my own dad, Jon Hand. Ever steady, yet goofy, my dad is what some would consider a “classic” dad – coming complete with corny yet beloved “dad jokes.” He has always been the mellow counterpart to my mom’s spitfire demeanor. He taught my brother and me the value of patience, of balancing one’s checkbook, and of basic vehicle maintenance, among other key life lessons. When I was beginning pointe work in ballet, he sewed my ribbons and elastics for me until I was able to do it myself.

It wasn’t until I was in high school that my dad found his ultimate career path in IT. And it wasn’t until a few years ago that he picked up drumming again, reconnecting with his love of music (he was in drum corps in high school and, in his twenties, played for a rock band that had a music video debut on MTV). In the past year, much to his initial chagrin, he joined my mom for ballroom dancing lessons, which he eventually admitted were “kind of fun.”

All this is to say, my dad has been a great father and role model. And to our recent high school and college grads, take note from my dad’s life that if you don’t have it all figured out just yet, there is plenty of time to discover what you are good at and what feeds your soul. Sometimes it takes stepping outside your comfort zone to discover the things that light up your life. Congrats, Grads!

—Genevieve