Graduation Day!

May has a way of letting any student know that the end of the school year is close. Memorial Weekend not only brings back summer days, but for most Seniors it also means Graduation Day is due along with the stirring feeling of how a new beginning is just about to unfold in their lives!

We just had Graduation Day yesterday. I’m still cherishing it. What a wonderful celebration! Loved every minute of it. Everyone looked so cleaned up! The boys looked so handsome in their coat and ties! The parents, grandparents and friends were searching for the best seat under the pines! We attended with my husband and my other son to see our Senior graduate. The day was perfect. It was sunny but comfortable. We stood up when the band started playing as the Seniors walked in. It was pretty emotional but I didn’t cry. I held a little tighter onto my husband’s arm. I was mindful of taking it all in so I would remember this event in my heart for years to come.

Just seeing my son receive his Diploma, was almost surreal. I’m so glad I have a picture to prove it. It just seemed like yesterday we had moved here and he was starting High-School. Seriously, where does the time go? I am aware that for the students time doesn’t go by that fast actually. For parents though, it’s another ball game: between school pickups, music recitals, parent meetings, sporting events, college updates, and helping out, four years of dinners go by in a flash!

But honestly, how blessed we felt yesterday to have a son graduate high-school and go onto college to pursue his dream! What an honor to witness the commencement ceremony and then share the celebratory lunch. Everyone was so proud of their Senior! As they should be, because it’s quite an accomplishment for the students! All the parents wanted a photo and a hug from their son! What a special day for everyone. Even the faculty and staff were honored to congratulate this Class of 2018! They are a remarkable group of young men. Well I’m biased, but that’s what they really told the Seniors!

I loved what the Principal did yesterday. Even before giving out all the prizes, the awards and accolades to the seniors and faculty members, the Principal congratulated the parents for the hard work of raising our sons, for supporting them and helping them along the way from boyhood to manhood. I cherished this recognition, it was well accepted by all the parents I’m sure. Every couple or single parent would have had to felt recognized and honored. I did feel the emotion inside. See the Principal knows that Graduation is a big step for parents too. What he was saying mostly, was that he recognized the parents for the effort it took to get them to yesterday’s graduation. He was thankful for all the years we had cared for our kids through it all!

As a parent of teens, you know what I mean. When our kids were trying to figure out who they were and what they wanted to do. When they tried their best, but didn’t make the Team. When the newness of high-school wore off and the going started to get tough. When the grades were a little shaky. Those weekends when friends and hanging out, were on a higher priority than homework. That time when they had a girlfriend and wouldn’t study to save their life! The stress of making up for the lost days of school, after having the accident. Or after the family situation. And so many more that come to my mind right now...

As parents we navigate this thing of parenthood the best way we know how. Nobody really prepares you for this, so the day your son graduates you kinda graduate too! Phew! You passed. It didn’t matter if you got an A or a C. The main thing is you passed. Congratulations! The prize of hanging in there was that this last Spring, you felt the relief when those college letters started to come back with good news of acceptance and scholarships! What a difference it made to our Senior’s confidence! They knew they were on their way when the college they really wanted to attend, accepted them.

I am aware of the excitement my son feels right now about starting his summer job and going off to College in the Fall! The thrill of kicking off this new stage in his life is powerful. We are beyond proud of him and know he’ll go on to do great things in life. He will give it 500% I know it. And yes, we’ll miss him terribly but with all this new technology we should be in touch. The most important part is that he knows we are always his best fans and that we’ll always be home for when he visits because a huge part of him will always live in our hearts. I pray God’s blessing on all our Seniors today.

Happy Graduation Day to all your Seniors and to YOU as Parents as well. Well done. Congratulations!

All the best,

Maria

Author: Life is Worth Getting Better