This post could be a sensitive one
for parent-types, so I’ll warn you now…if you are a parent you don’t have to
continue reading. If you chose to
continue, you do so at your own risk.
You’ve been warned.
As a woman whose perception of life and the achievements therein have not been influenced by parenthood, this is a topic near and dear
to my heart. Especially on a day like
today.
Today my beautiful and accomplished cousin Sara is
graduating. I’m a huge Sara fan. My
heart swells when I think of her smiling face as she darts across the stage,
diploma in hand. Her parents teary-eyed
and full of pride as they watch their little girl make this momentous journey
that is symbolized in 20 or so steps across the stage.
Today she GRADUATES from high school. 12 long and no doubt difficult years to get
to this moment in time.
Prior to reading the first sentence of that last part, you
may have been asking yourself from WHAT is Sara graduating? That would be a shame. Because at this time of year people just love
to talk about their precious little ones who have “graduated” from Kindergarten,
elementary school or worse yet, pre-K.
I believe going from one grade-level to the next is a good
thing. One that is marked by end-of-year
parties, summer vacation, maybe even dinner out to their favorite restaurant for
a job well done. But make no
mistake. Kids FINISH kindergarten and
pre-K. They COMPLETE elementary
school. They MOVE ON or UP from Jr. high. But they GRADUATE from high school.
I chose not to cheapen Sara’s accomplishment by having it categorized
in the same fashion as a 4 year old who has just finished a year of pre-k curriculum
with concentration in coloring and naps and snack time.
Sara, I love you. I
know how significant today is in the course of your life. This world is a better place because you are
a part of it.
3 comments:
As a parent who has attended the "graduation" of my own kids from various non-finishing-high-school grade levels, I can say two things:
1. How dare you demean such momentous occasions?
2. I feel the same damn way,
I'm certain to get in trouble for this. Actually, I already did. I was working on a day that Jason was graduating from 2nd grade (I believe it was 2nd. I cared so little then... or now). I mentioned it to my office staff and they were like, "How could you be working today?! It's the only 2nd grade graduation he'll ever get!"
Wow, I guess I'm just cold-hearted. That said, Ima gonna cry like a baby at the high-school graduation.
-Yer callous brudder.
PS. Congrats Sara!!!
Gratz to Sara!
Chuck, you aren't cold-hearted. You have tons of common sense! I think it's all just one big ploy from Hallmark to create more non-occasions to sell their wares for!
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