Kingsport Spirit

One thing about my daughter: she does not like being in the spotlight.

But I believe moments matter…and if I let this one pass without speaking from my heart, I’d miss the chance to tell her how much she means to me—and to all of us, really.

So here goes.

Katelyn knows this is one of my favorite pictures. A much younger me holding a much younger you. Even then, my mind fast-forwarded to this day.

When you become a parent for the first time, and you survive those first couple of years, you think, “We’ve got this down. We could manage another.”

Then the second child comes along, and you quickly realize there’s no one-size-fits-all formula.

Both are unique—fearfully and wonderfully made by God – and entrusted to your care.

My philosophy as a father was to help my children become the best version of themselves—not who I wanted them to be, but who they were meant to be.

And that can be hard for a dad.

Once you have a few years under your belt, you want to impart your wisdom to protect them from what you see as potential mistakes.

If you don’t think God has a sense of humor, think again.

He gave us a strapping, athletic son.

In case you can’t tell by looking at us, we are not athletic.

Then He gave us a tiny, precious girl we spent a lifetime trying to protect from being mauled by…that strapping, athletic son.

One time, she cried out from her crib. Both of their rooms were upstairs. As we turned the corner to check on her, Zack was already there — 3 ½ years old — carrying her down the stairs, holding the rail with one hand and her under his arm like a sack of potatoes.

“Here, she was crying.”

We know Zack. Please don’t ever get your baby sister out of bed and carry her down the stairs in the middle of the night. We’ll take care of her. We promise.

Early on, he was a mama’s boy, and she was a daddy’s girl, though over time those roles balanced out.

I learned that size is not an accurate measure of what is inside.   

As big and scary as he seems, he always wore his heart on his sleeve. He told us he loved us every time he called (even if it was multiple times per day). He would tear up when a song moved him.

She was petite, but she kept her emotions close.  I think she told us she loved us once in middle school…with the understanding that she’d let us know if she ever changed her mind. Until then, we were to assume she loved us.

She didn’t cry much. If she did, you knew it was serious.

She taught me that still waters run deep. She’s not superficial. She doesn’t talk much about her feelings, but she loves deeply and sincerely – and she’s fiercely loyal to her friends.

She has grit, determination, and tenacity. Maybe having an older brother helped after all.

When she decided that volleyball was her sport, our job was to encourage her and get out of the way.

I’d come home from work and find her hitting a ball against the back of the house over and over and over. Nobody made her do it—she decided. And once she decided to do something, you’d best get out of her way.

She wasn’t the high-profile front-row hitter. She wasn’t the game-managing setter. She was the dependable server and the reliable receiver of those hard, unblocked hits coming straight at your face…or the soft ones lobbed just over the front row’s reach. And she rarely missed.

She taught me how important every position is on a team.

And spoiler alert: they won the only state championship in school history.

She probably doesn’t realize it, but I’ve been telling that story to our local high school leadership class for nearly 15 years. She taught me that.

At 14, she took a fast-food job at a legendary place back home called Pal’s. It’s a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winner with a cult following. It’s kind of a big deal.

She may have been the most loyal teenage employee they ever had. We didn’t want to discourage her work ethic, but she would never tell them she already had plans and couldn’t work.

She missed many family gatherings because of that loyalty.

Early in college, she told us she was interested in dentistry and wanted to visit the University of Louisville.

To me, it seemed completely random. We had no history with the city or the university. She’d never been to Louisville, but she said it with clarity and resolve.

I knew that if she said it…I should listen.

So, we came for a visit.

She was a freshman, and the others on the tour were seniors. When asked to introduce herself, I instinctively started to speak for her—but I knew I couldn’t.

I remember being so impressed by her maturity, her presence, and the way she introduced herself among those upperclassmen.

In that moment, I knew she was no longer a little girl who needed protecting, but a young woman who just needed her dad beside her for reassurance.

Three years later, she moved to Louisville.

That was ten years ago.

During the brief summer breaks, we took daddy-daughter trips because they usually lined up with the start of school, which made it hard for Mom to join us. As much as I hated not having her with us, I cherished those trips.

Just the two of us.

We went to the Oregon Coast, the Napa Valley, Yosemite, New Orleans, New England, and Europe.

I love to travel, and it made me happy that she wanted to see what was beyond East Tennessee. It also made me think about her great-grandmothers…who spent their lives within a few miles of where they were born. It was a different time.

One went to Berea. Another was in the inaugural class of East Tennessee State University. Another was widowed but had the dogged determination to raise a fine family, all of whom were successful in their own way, but one who worked his way through William & Mary and became a successful lawyer.

She comes from a long line of brilliant women…from her mom and grandmother to aunts, cousins, and nieces, many of whom are here tonight.

Yes, the men in our family are outnumbered, but I’m here for it.

I often think about how proud they would be to see how smart, strong, and independent she is.

And when she met Collin, who is equally smart, strong, and independent, I knew it was meant to be. I loved the story about Papa Bill, who said, “My God, look at her, she’s smart, beautiful, and likes a good steak.” What are you waiting for, Collin?

I told him that one of the things I admire most about them is that they’re not jealous of each other or demanding of each other’s time. Sometimes they travel independently. Sometimes they travel together. It doesn’t matter to them. There is no pressure to conform.

He lives his life, she lives hers, and together they share a life as equal partners—unimpressed by material things…but determined to live life to the fullest.

They share a love of learning, adventure, travel, and fur babies— Creed, Julep, Beans, and Kitty-man.

I’ll admit, I still get nervous sometimes. After all, I’m still a dad.

But I’m over the moon that she has been able to experience a wider world.

So, baby girl, you are not a baby anymore.

It has been the joy of my life to be your dad.

I’ll still stalk you on Find My Friends … as long as you let me, but it’s only because I’ll always love you, and I’ll always want to know that you are safe.

So, Katelyn and Collin, if I have any advice, it is this: love deeply and sacrificially, live with gratitude and purpose, be quick to rise above division and pursue peace, be kind and compassionate, love others like yourself, walk closely with our Creator, the One who knit you together in your mother’s womb, and don’t forget the people and places that helped shape you along the way.

Collin, thank you for loving her well.

May you continue to build a life filled with love, and maybe one day (fingers crossed) it will be your turn to give this speech. And if you are even half as blessed as you have made me feel, it will all be worth it.

Please join me in a word of prayer.

Heavenly Father, thank You for this beautiful day and for the gift of love that has brought us all together. Thank You for this precious couple, for the joy they share, and for the families and friends who surround them today.

Please bless their marriage with patience, kindness, laughter, and unwavering faith. Guide them in the years ahead, strengthen them in difficult moments, and keep them grateful in the good ones. May their home be filled with peace, grace, and deep abiding love.

And Lord, thank You for this meal and for the hands that prepared it. Bless our time together now as we celebrate with grateful hearts.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Jeff Fleming

April 25, 2026