There is a good reason they call these ceremonies “commencement exercises.” Graduation is not the end, it’s the beginning. ~Orrin Hatch
On Friday, my oldest granddaughter graduated from high school. Here she is walking into the chapel where the ceremony was held. My son is the man in the picture watching her. It seems not all that many years ago that I was the parent watching him come down the aisle to line up with all his classmates and receive his diploma. A rite of passage that thousands of young people and parents are going through across the country.
In some ways it’s as much an ending and a beginning for the parents as it is for the young people. The teen years are ending. Their child is ready to step out into the world and try his or her wings. I remember sending my son out into that world of independence. He was off to college the next year after working through the summer. He came home for visits and school breaks, but he never truly lived at home again. It was just a place to rest a few days or weeks before heading off on his journey to the rest of his life. Now he’s beginning that time with his daughter – hoping her wings will be strong and her future good. His wings were strong and he’s always soared high in life. That’s what I wish for his daughter, my beautiful granddaughter. A good future with love and family and work that is fulfilling and makes her happy.
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. ~Henry David Thoreau
Have you lived the life you imagined? Or maybe one that turned out better than anything you might have imagined? And if you have a cherished child or grandchild graduating this year, what do you wish for him or her?
Thanks for reading. And remember, if you want to throw your name in the hat for the May drawing for a copy of one of my books, you’ve still got time. Just send me an e-mail or leave a comment here with a way to contact you if you win. Also e-book copies of Angel Sister and Words Spoken True will be at reduced prices until the end of May.