Graduation Day (Oregon State!)

Waking up on Graduation Day felt like a fairy tale, in 1976. Or maybe it was more like a dream I had tried to have before, and was now finally coming true. Oh joy of joys! It was all over. 

There is nothing quite so freeing as the piece of paper that says you don't have to take any more finals. That you no longer need all-nighters in order to avoid disaster. All this was great, but even better was the fact that someone wonderful was graduating with me. Someone sitting three rows ahead. The kind, the funny, the rather dazzling friend and comrade - the Lone Ranger (please see End of One, Beginning of Another, part 18).

Graduation Day

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All of this means a great deal to the SconeLady, but it is not yet our focus this day. It is the Class of 2014.

Everywhere, the fascinating scenario unfolds. Sleepy grads awaken to realize that they are no longer concerned about a final. All of the papers, all of the exams, all over - and only this one step is yet to be taken. They don their caps and their gowns, and take that last walk down to the stadium to show mom it could be done.

Hooray! Congrats to those of you who are graduating, and the same to your long-suffering parents. There are two beautiful young people among your ranks this day that we especially celebrate. We will make that lovely drive to greet and to honor, to shower them with the accolades they so richly deserve. There may yet be other education ahead of them, but we will not think of that just now. We will gather, and eat cake, and gift them many times over.  

Some of the graduates thought it would never happen. There were so many obstacles! Years of relentless work to be accomplished; hundreds of papers to be written well; the hurdles of getting all the right classes, of midterms and finals - and now it is all in the rearview mirror. 

The sheer relief of this is worth pondering. I can remember it and personally savored it, that euphoria of a job well done. The knowledge that Mother (who never gave up) could rejoice with me in my black cap and gown.

Be well, Graduates. There's a lot out ahead of you, and the Road is long with many turns. But you did This, and you can do That. No problem! And don't forget -

When the ivy walks are far behind,

No matter where our paths may wind -

We'll remember always (always)

Graduation Day.

The Beach Boys, 1964

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I shall go to sleep this night thinking of, and praying for those two sweet and very clever girls we celebrated this day. Then I will focus back to that other graduation day, when my eyes were glued to someone's head three rows up. I may not remember one word of the Keynote Speech, but I will never forget the moment that head turned, and gazed back.


See you along the way!

the SconeLady

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/whatcouldgowrong/4608963722/">j.o.h.n. walker</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/58530249@N04/12044276715/">Do512.com</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>