My mom got her first college credential last night, crossing the stage in her cap and gown at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. While my mom and I don’t always see things eye to eye in the daily matters of life, I have nothing but pride for her accomplishment. It’s really cool that she wanted to go to college and see it through at this point in her life as a mother and a grandmother, as a working woman and a wife. She graduated with honors of course; that’s probably where I get my “is there something higher than an A+ that I could work toward?” ethic in school. Good job, Mom, bravo!
My mind wandered all over the place during the ceremony. When my brother wasn’t trying to get me to punch him (I had to scoot over a seat so he’d stop poking me with his elbow on purpose), I was thinking about crossing that same stage a couple times myself. My high school graduation was in that auditorium. I remember they made me wear white dress shoes with our pastel graduation gown: ack, white shoes AND a pastel gown, offend the girl in black in every way possible!!! The shoes were slick on the bottom since they were new; I was worried I was going to bust my clumsy ass (being clumsy and lacking grace has been a lifelong trait, nothing new) in front of everyone, but I made it across the stage and back to my seat safely. At the end of the ceremony, we all tossed our caps high. I left mine in the auditorium, no interest in trying to figure out which was mine in the mayhem when I just wanted out of there. The next afternoon, I went to work at my job in the music and video department of PharMor, and my manager handed me my cap–it had a big note on it from the class clown, such a smartass even to this day: “Hey, found this in my bed this morning…” What a weasel. I thought it was funny as hell until I realized my manager thought my classmate really did find it in his bed.
I crossed the same stage again when I got my first college degree in my twenties. It had been a long, challenging road to get that degree. I was divorced. I worked full time, went to school full time and took care of my baby girl in the hours that remained of the day. I slept very little, more than likely fostering the beginnings of the sleep problems I still have today. Couldn’t tell you how many times I studied for a test with a baby on my shoulder, usually a sick wailing baby since Minime had about 300 million ear infections when she was tiny…by the time I finished school, she was a sweet little toddler who shouted out “That’s my mommy!” when I stepped up on the stage. The happy voice of a proud little girl made every part of that hard educational journey worthwhile.
I know that everyone who crossed the stage last night had challenges and hardships and probably times where they wanted to throw in the towel, drop out of college and forget about it. It’s above and beyond awesome that they stuck with it, Mom included. May you all reach every goal you set out to achieve!