Graduation

Tonight is the 5-year-old whirlwind's preschool graduation, complete with blue cap and gown. I've seen her “graduation photos”, and she obviously enjoyed posing in her regalia. I'm sure she'll have a wonderful time. My cousin Karen posted photos of her granddaughter Eden's preschool graduation from last night on Facebook. I know these kiddos feel so big reaching this milestone.

My class celebrated graduation in May of 1971. We came home from our senior trip on Saturday, some of us sunburned and a couple of us with colds. We were tired and full of memories. On Sunday afternoon, we gathered at the school gym. The tradition was that the seniors gathered up flowers from wherever they could around the neighborhood and put together flower arrangements to decorate the stage for graduation.

We all gathered back at the gym that evening for Baccalaureate. That was a lot more low-key ceremony than what was to come. We marched to the stage to “Pomp and Circumstance”, played by one of the sophomore girls on the piano. As I think back, I really don't remember too much now of that evening. I'm sure there was some special music and a speech, possibly delivered by a local minister. If I felt really energetic, I could dig out some mementos and find the program from that evening. But I don't have that kind of gumption today!

The more important event was Commencement the following night. It was a bigger deal than Baccalaureate – a bigger crowd, a longer ceremony, and we marched in to “Pomp and Circumstance” played by the school band (minus the seniors). Hearing that song still makes me tear up. There was special music, speeches by the Valedictorian and Salutatorian, and the guest speaker. And finally, we received our diplomas.

I had always been so ready for graduation – for years I couldn't wait to be done with high school and start my life. And that feeling didn't change – so I was quite surprised when I started crying after graduation and had quite a time getting a hold on my emotions. I still can't explain my reaction to getting that diploma, except that I know I was tired still from senior trip and even at this stage of my life I tend to tear up easily when I'm tired.

When I graduated from college two years later, my emotions really weren't involved. Instead I had a sense of relief at my accomplishment coupled with curiosity at what was to come. That graduation wasn't as big a rite of passage as high school graduation had been.

Other than crying when I heard “Pomp and Circumstance”, I was calm and focused when the kids graduated from high school. In fact, I bordered on a feeling of excitement knowing that they were about to start another phase of their life. At their college graduations I just felt a sense of relief....with son, it was a BIG sense of relief.

In a short three years we'll start with high school graduations for the grandkids. I'll be very happy for them and not feel the need to cry – except for when they play “Pomp and Circumstance”.