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 ...)

One month

It's just one month from graduation. Technically that was yesterday (graduation is on May 27), but yesterday was full of "stuff" and I didn't feel like writing.

Like a headache.

Like two movies.

Like watching live streaming of the tornadoes in the South, courtesy TornadoVideos.net.

Like Mythbusters.

So it sounds like I might have done a good job of avoiding the topic, but one of the movies I watched was Toy Story 3.

When Toy Story 3 came out in the theaters, I made a vow to myself that I wouldn't see this movie. Possibly ever. At least until I had young grandchildren and that Dreaded Day was far off in both directions -- Aidan's well behind him, theirs well ahead.

But I'd seen a documentary about Pixar the night before and wanted to watch Toy Story 2 ... except that Netflix didn't have it on their Watch It Now list, so I decided I'd just go ahead and do TS3, having completely forgotten that it was about a 17-year-old boy about to go off to college.

When it started and I realized, I almost turned it off. But I thought, no, I can do this, I can be tough and watch this movie. It's only a movie, after all, right?

Well, I survived it. I cried a lot, though. It was a good movie, but I seriously wouldn't force any of my friends who are parents of the Class of 2011 to watch it. It did help knowing that Aidan wouldn't be caught dead playing with any of his old toys at this stage in his life, even if he was "saying goodbye" to them and helping another child get to know them. It's not who or where Aidan is in his life right now. Of course, I hold his old toys to be incredibly sacred, so there would have been no "You decide what to keep, what to put in the attic, and what to throw away," going on with me. I'd be afraid he'd get rid of the ones I wanted to keep! lol

Seriously, when Aidan goes to UT, I will not be making him purge his room. It can stay just like it is for now. He'll be coming home fairly often, anyway (so he says, and I'm counting on that!). I might do some re-organizing and straightening, might actually get his three Perfect Score on the National Latin Exam certificates framed and hung. But no purging!!

And what was with that mother, letting her son drive off to college by himself? Why didn't she go with him to help him get set up and settled in? Don't all parents do that? Heck, I don't care if UT is less than an hour's drive away, we're going with Aidan to see the dorm, get him settled, etc. Whether he likes it or not! lol

So ... yeah. One month until he graduates from high school. I think it's going to be a rollercoaster ride, to be honest. I thought I was doing better, thought I was prepared, but ...

I know, Lord. One day at a time.

How Long, O Lord, How Long?

We've been busy with lots of things lately, so I haven't had a chance (or the inclination or whatever) to blog lately, at least here, so I apologize to all my readers who have been absolutely dying to hear from me.

--- sound of hysterical laughter ---

Okay, back to reality.

I have been blogging, just not here. I'm writing a fictional blog (aka "blogfiction") and that is heaps of fun and has taken up a lot of my time. I'd already written most of the story in 3rd person, so I've been converting it to 1st person and trying to make it fit the concept of a blog, although my entries, by necessity, have to be longer than an average blog post. Anyway, if you're interested, you can check it out here: Caddie Emerging (first post)

This is what we've been dealing with lately on the college app front (just substitute the words "college essays" for "English lit project":


He did manage to get in his app to UChicago by the early app deadline of Nov. 1. Now he needs to get his butt in gear on the UT Honors College app, the UT 40 Acres Scholarship app, and the Rice Univ. application. ALL the UT stuff has to be in by December 1, I believe.

I'm so tired of pushing this kid to get stuff done. He was really fired up about getting everything in early back at the first of September, but then we discovered just how freaking many essays one has to write to apply to universities, and it all went downhill from there. I don't blame him. The whole system is stupid, but since I don't think it'll change between now and the time he has to get his apps in, we just have to live with it.

UT's football team has been REALLY stinking this year. We're not really into that, but I'm hoping maybe it'll mean fewer people will apply to UT if they thing the team is going to stink. Hey, I'm grasping at anything, here. UT is a very popular school and it's very hard to get in because of that. But you know that.

Anyway, we have a "Senior Parent/Student Brown Bag Lunch" coming up in another couple of weeks -- to measure for caps and gowns and to look at graduation announcement stationers. No way am I ready for this!

Ugh. Okay, I'm going off to do something else right now before I end up a teary mess sogging up the sofa ...