Graduation

It must have been all the prayers asking for good weather because it was a perfect weekend for graduation. The parties were a different story. Saturday afternoon got a little soggy. Well, a lot soggy.

For me the fun began on Friday night with the pinning ceremony for my granddaughter, Kate. You may recognize her from the brochure for In-Home Care Connection. The ceremony was held in a large church in Peoria, so no worries about the weather. Sixty-four men and women walked across the stage and accepted pins that designated the hard, long sleepless hours that is the life of a nursing student. But, she made it!

In the mean time another graduation took place and my eighth grade grandson Grady officially became a high school student. Princeton High School is the fortunate host. Once again the evening was beautiful.

Another cause for celebration is Ashton. She continues to study to become an Occupational Therapy Assistant and will receive her certification this fall.

Saturday dawned sunny and mild so we were able to have Gabe’s high school ceremony out of doors. Everything went like clock work. The graduates marched onto the football field at ten o’clock sharp. The choir sang, (Princeton has an award winning choir) and they did a beautiful job as did the band. The band played and the speeches were given and the awards were handed out. Finally, all the names of the graduates were read, and then it was over. Twelve years of school ended at 10:50. It took less than an hour. There was no time for dilly-dally. Why the hurry?

Well, right over the high school there appeared a dark, gray cloud. Everyone opened their phones and watched the radar as the orange blip grew large and menacing, but the cloud seemed to hold back with parents' one more prayer.

The bad weather waited. Hats were thrown into the air, hugs were given and pictures were taken. By the time people got to their cars and home, the heavens opened up. Mother Nature had given us one hour. The big orange blip opened and rain began and never stopped for the rest of the day.

Sadly, there were parties planned and arrangements had to be quickly moved from outdoors to indoors.

For us, we had made the decision on Wednesday to play it safe. We forgot about the tent in the back yard, and moved our operation to a ware house.

This place sits north of the railroad tracks. I estimate the building to be a hundred years old. There is a big door where railroad tracks allowed trains to enter. But now, this big building is home to a couple of aspiring businesses. Yes, it has old concrete floors, auto parts and vintage cars. It smells old and dusty with history of another time.

We swept the floors, moved tables in, covered them with plastic table clothes of school colors, taped pictures of Ashton, Kate, Gabe, and Grady, all our graduates, to the walls. No celebration is ever complete without balloons and loud music.

We served pulled pork, two cakes and enough food to feed the seventy-five plus well wishers who came to wish my four graduate grand-kids good luck.

It sprinkled but not enough to create puddles or mud. We made it.

Mr. Owl, a Hallmark folded paper center piece, has attended graduations in our family since 1981. Yes, he is looking a little weary. But he will show up with our future graduates. The next will be in four more years.

Betty

Respect your parents, they passed school without Google….