05/30/2026
Last night was my daughter’s graduation ceremony at The King’s Academy.
Former Vice President Mike Pence was the keynote speaker, which was definitely memorable but for me, my attention was somewhere else entirely.
I was watching my little girl graduate.
This past year has been one of the most transformative years of her life.
She was an online student, and to say God has done some incredible things in her life over the last 12 months would be an understatement. Last night felt like the culmination of so much prayer, growth, change, and faithfulness all wrapped into one evening.
And then came the moment that swept the rug under my feet that my wife and daughter were keeping a surprise from me…
She walked on stage and sang “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.”
Now I’ve sung and heard that hymn thousands of times over the past few decades, but when it’s your daughter singing it after watching what God has carried her through this past year… it hits you a little different.
Actually, it hits a lot different.
As I sat there listening, I started thinking about how close this entire chapter came to never happening at all.
A year ago, my wife had applied to the school literally two days before the application deadline closed…two days.
Which is about how long most men wait before realizing they should’ve booked dinner reservations for their anniversary.
And the whole thing started because a friend invited my wife and daughter to one of The King’s Academy musical theater performances. After the show, my wife looked at my daughter and said, “Do you think you’d ever want to do something like that?”
To our surprise with eyes wide open she said a resounding… yes!
Now if you know my daughter, you understand this was not a small moment, so they applied, at the same time she auditioned for Prince of Egypt, Henry V, then choir, then jazz ensemble and somewhere along the way, the quiet little spark turned into a full-blown fire.
This past year she was awarded the Society for the Preservation of the Great American Songbook’s Young Artist of the Year as a vocalist, which is incredible considering a year ago we were simply hoping she’d get accepted into the school before the deadline expired.
It never ceases to amaze me how fast life can change directions and sometimes the biggest changes begin with one small decision to try something different, one new possibility, one ‘let’s move in that direction and see if God opens or closes the door.’
After the ceremony ended, she walked toward the family holding her diploma, smiling ear to ear, and suddenly I got flooded with emotion.
And in that moment, I didn’t see an 18-year-old graduate, I saw the little girl I used to carry around the house. Her nickname immediately popped into my head: “Sugees”, which was slang for sugars.
Now you may be wondering at this moment how all this connects to your health, but here it is…Big transformations rarely happen overnight.
They usually begin with one small decision.
“I’m going to cut back on desserts.”
“I’m going to start walking again.”
“I’m finally going to get some bloodwork done.”
“I’m going to get serious about taking care of myself.”
“I’m going to buy some pickleball paddles and stop talking about playing someday.”
It’s rarely one massive dramatic moment, more often, it’s one appointment, one new habit, one better decision, one moment where someone finally says: “I think I’m ready.”
And that single step can end up changing far more than you realize.
Most people wait until there’s a crisis before they move… a diagnosis, a fall, a scary report, pain that finally becomes impossible to ignore, but some of the greatest breakthroughs in life begin long before the “big moment” everyone else sees.
They begin quietly, with consistency, with small choices repeated over time.
That’s true spiritually, that’s true relationally and it’s absolutely true physically.
So let me ask you:
What step toward better health have you been thinking about taking… but keep postponing?
Maybe it’s time to stop thinking about it and finally take the first step, because one small decision today may completely change where you are a year from now.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Dr. Derek “I Blinked and She Grew Up” Taylor
www.taylorchirolaser.com
561-867-1020