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Normally, this space is filled with opinions, facts, scores, and other nuggets from the sports world. Today, its content is much more important. I must also tell you that this column is a personal one; and I beg your indulgence in letting me write about someone that is very special to me.

You see very soon my daughter Jennifer is going to graduate from Buchholz High School and start college. It wasn't that long ago that my son Drew was doing the same thing, he's now graduated from the University of Florida and he's got a full time job; my how time flies.

It does indeed. You see, I never expected Jennifer to be this old this fast; I would always tease her when she was little that I would not allow her to grow up because I wanted her to stay my little girl. Well, the fact is, she is a beautiful young woman now.

If you have children, you know they can sometimes be different, and Jenny and Drew are very different kids. Drew and I have always been close; he is very much like me in many ways. Jennifer and I are opposite in many ways, and she's always been close to her Mom; they sometimes seem like sisters! So getting close to her for me was sometimes difficult.

Let's put it this way, my daughter is a very unique young lady. I have often said whatever young man may some day marry her will get a pat on the back from me and my best wishes for good luck! Jennifer is fussy, opinionated, likes expensive things, ("I've GOT to have a Coach purse, Dad") moody, and doesn't hug a lot, (how about those one armed hugs!) and I could go on and on.

Suffice it to say we have had our issues. It hasn't always been smooth. But then again, when is a parent/child relationship ever smooth?

But I also know that when the chips are down, if you need a friend to talk to about anything, when the family needs to come together, Jennifer will be right there. She cares deeply about her friends and family, and she is very mature for her age in these areas. She can drive her father crazy sometimes, but I have always known deep down she is a good person with a good heart.

And I also know that even though she has funny ways to show it sometimes, she loves her father. I have no words to express what that means to me.

On her graduation day, my wife Kim and I will be as proud as any of the other parents at her ceremony, but my mind will probably drift back to some of the things we did when she was growing up. Breaking a nail while trying to play catch, (and never doing it again!) the sleep overs with a dozen girls in the house, our family trips, and smuggling her dog Brownie into our house when she found it as a stray when I was away on a road trip with baseball. (Yes, we still have the dog, one of three!)

Yes, I will be very proud when she walks across that stage, and she'll now attend Santa Fe Community College and hopefully find a successful career. But most of all, I guess I will realize that my little girl has grown up; much as I tried to stop it, to hold it off, it had to happen.

But no matter how many years go by Jennifer, you will always be my little girl. And your Dad.

Congratulations on your big day!