Graduation Day, part 2

Well, I survived it.

And overall it was an amazing, beautiful, fantastic day.

Started out with the School of Rhetoric (i.e. High School) Awards Ceremony. Aidan garnered a few awards, including "President's List" honor roll (grade average of 95-97 for the first three quarters), got a silver medal for his grade on the National Spanish Exam, Spanish 1 level (which was amazing since he didn't even start the class until the second semester), and a gold medal for his grade on the National Latin Exam, was chosen the Molecular Biology Student of the Year, and was recognized for being a National Merit Finalist with a beautiful Lucite plaque/trophy (too thick to be a plaque, but not exactly a trophy ...) And he was officially announced as the Salutatorian, but we've known since last year he would have that honor.

Then they have a special Senior recognition, in which a member of the junior class reads a tribute they've written to a member of the Senior class. That's always fun, and the young man who wrote about Aidan nailed him pretty well (nailed in the sense of accurately defined him, not made fun of him). Aidan got to keep a written copy of what the junior said, so that will go into his keepsake stuff!

As the ceremony ended and the head of the athletic department got up to give the closing prayer, I suddenly choked up -- I realized how much I was going to miss this awesome school, the whole wonderful Christlike atmosphere of the place, the love and the encouragement of the faculty and staff, all that. And this was the last day we would be associated with it in a direct sense. *cry*

Then we had graduation rehearsal and went back home.

I don't normally reprint emails I've sent someone in my blogs, but since I'm tired and don't want to have to write everything out twice, I'm going to paste here the graduation description I already sent to a friend this morning, maybe adding a few things along the way ...


Graduation was awesome. I LOVE Aidan's school and the way they personalize everything. With 11 kids in the graduating class you can do that.

I was incredibly thrilled that my mom was able to go see Aidan graduate. Her health is just not good at all, and she's not able to go out and do a lot of things away from the house, especially a sort-of monumental thing like a ceremony or service or whatever. But God granted his beautiful mercy to Mom yesterday and she was able to come with Daddy and share in Aidan's big day along with us and Aidan's paternal grandparents, who came out from Arizona to be part of the celebration.

Aidan's Salutatorian speech was so good, and it was SO totally him. It was about how, although people often say "High school is the best time of your life," he certainly hopes that ISN'T true, because he hasn't even begun to do and be all the things he wants to do and be. He sees high school as a springboard, with college giving him and his classmates this whole brand new opportunity to go out there and expand on who they think they are, etc. It gives you a chance to reinvent yourself. It's certainly not a new theme for a high school graduation, but the wording and delivery were totally Aidan and beautifully done.

I don't remember if I told you anything else about how their ceremony works, but they have the parents come up with the student before they get their diploma. While we're walking up they read the "charge" we wrote to our student (I'll post that at the end), then they say the student's full name, we hug/kiss/shake hands/whatever with them, then they leave us, walk across the stage and get their diploma, then the student leaves the stage from that end and we walk back down the way we came -- opposite sides, intentionally symbolic of them leaving their parents and going out on their own.

Of course there's a keynote speech (they chose one of their English teachers to give it), and the headmaster gives his speech. Our headmaster was recovering from prostate cancer surgery, so this year is was a video from him. He chose the theme of "perseverence" for this year's class, and I thought in the middle of the speech it kinda turned into a downer ("You will go through suffering in your life ... you will lose your job, a treasured and important relationship will end, some of you will divorce, some will get cancer ..." -- I thought he could've said "may" instead of "will" with those last two!!). The message was important, that suffering and difficulty refine us and make us more like Jesus, but some of the wording was a little weird for a high school graduation, or so I thought.

But overall it was just beautiful and awesome, and I didn't need ONE kleenex (although I did get close a couple of times)!! In fact, when they called our name to walk up to the front with Aidan, God totally pasted this huge smile on my face and I couldn't stop smiling! I actually got worried people would think I was looking forward to getting rid of Aidan! lol (My mom said I just looked proud; I hope that was the impression I gave!) And then it was over, we had a nice reception in the cafeteria, and we went home.

And about an hour or so later I looked over at Aidan and thought ... oh, my gosh, he looks like a YOUNG MAN, not just a "teenager"!! He's grown up!

I went to get ready for bed, then, and I just lost it. Bawled my eyes out. Had to have Bjorn come in and put his arms around me. Thank goodness Aidan and Bjorn's folks had already gone off to bed! I would say it was just that the whole day crashed down on me (I was certainly physically exhausted by that point) but I've been teary all morning, too. Ugh! I hope I get over this or it's going to be a weird summer.

Don't know how in heaven's name I'll survive the day we drop Aidan at his dorm and drive off. But a year ago I didn't know how I would survive yesterday, either, and God gave me the grace I needed to get through it, so I'm counting on Him to get me through that day, too.

In the meantime I'm going to pray really hard for Jesus to come back first! ;-)

---

Here is our Charge to Aidan that was printed in the program and read as we walked up to the stage with him:

Aidan, you have amazed us since the minute you entered this world seventeen years ago! It was clear from the start that you had a bright, inquisitive little brain. It’s been a such a fun, incredible ride raising you, watching you navigate interests and talents until finally discovering that One Thing that just clicks with you, that gives you so much joy and is so clearly a God-given gift in you. (We should have known you’d grow up to be a linguist from the way you used to study our faces when we spoke, as if you were trying to figure out how we got those sounds out of our mouths, and how those sounds seemed to fit together to actually mean something!)
And we know it’s going to be just as wonderful watching you become the man God wants you to be, a man after His own heart. We are so excited for you as you begin this next phase of your life. Knowing how much you love God and are committed to Him gives us great peace as we launch you out into the wide world.
“We are not in charge of how you live out the faith, looking over your shoulder, suspiciously critical. We’re partners working alongside you, joyfully expectant. [We] know that you stand by your own faith, not ours.” (2 Corinthians 1:4, The Message)
So, Aidan, Exsisto existo , prodeo quod victum! ["Arise, go forth and conquer!" -- which Aidan would know ...]
We love you!
Mom and Pop

Graduation Day!!

Well, it's actually here -- Aidan's Graduation Day. I have about two minutes to blog about it, so most of the actual Graduation Day writing will be tomorrow or later ...

I'm making today a positive day in my head. Celebrating the amazing pre-college academic career of my wonderful son. Rejoicing in the many ways God has guided us, guided his teachers, guided him through these last 12 years (almost 18 for us!). Praising God for giving us the incredible privilege of raising this young man who is just truly the neatest kid on the planet.

When we say our farewells at UT on the day we drop him off for his first semester there, I will bawl like a baby (hopefully not until we get back in the car). Today, I'm really going to try NOT to do that. I'm going to keep my focus upbeat, on the good stuff, not on the "oh, this is the last time my baby will be a part of this school," or when I look at his three-year-old picture up on the screen alongside his senior portrait during the ceremony, I'm going to do my darnedest not to think "Oh, my gosh, that was just yesterday! Where did the time go???" (There was enough of that during the Senior breakfast yesterday morning when we watched the slideshows of the kids' pictures from infancy through this year!)

Might be best not to even look at the pic (except it's an awesome one!)

Anyway, so many things happening today, including the Upper School Awards Ceremony, graduation rehearsal, pre-ceremony pictures, then the ceremony and the reception afterward. It's going to be a crazy-busy day, but a good one, celebrating with Aidan and God!

(And why did typing that make tears come to my eyes? Oh, darn ...)