Thes is Touching

No, I didn't misspell "this".  It is a little wordplay related to something I find touching: the accepted way to start a thesis in C. America.

I was reading about the golden nematode today and was using two excellent theses when I noticed something odd, personal dedications at the start of each one.  After the title, the writer dedicates his thesis to people: his parents, brothers, cousins, grandparents, friends (I'm not making this up), in-laws, nieces and nephews, and finally, to his girlfriend.  I thought I'd paste two girlfriend dedications in here for you because they are touching and so out of place in a doctoral thesis.  Enjoy:

"Gracia mi amor, por hacer que el sol brille para mi aún en los días mas obscuros, y por tu apoyo incondicional en el alcance de esta meta."

Thank you my love, for making the sun shine for me even on the darkest days, and for your unconditional support in reaching this goal.

"Ingrid M. Díaz, gracias mi amor, por aparecer esa tarde en mi vida cuando más la necesitaba, por tu apoyo incondicional en el alcance de esta meta, y por sembrar ese amor en mí que un día te dará el fruto que tanto has soñado."

Ingrid Diaz, thank you my love, for appearing that afternoon in my life when I most needed it, for your unconditional support in reaching this goal, and for planting this love in me that one day will give you the fruit that you have dreamed for.

Here, even the agronomists are poets.

Buenas noches.