Love from the other side of the Coin!

Silver Dollar

So it's been an insane week of events as my Son said farewell to High School.  While most would be happy to gloat on the ridiculous number of awards and accolades that he received, I couldn't help but notice something a little more intangible. It all started with his final Band Banquet.  You must understand, my Son has given his all for his High School Band for the last five years.  There is no question of his love for his band or it's members or it's success.  In the midst of receiving awards for his leadership role of being Captain and other prestigious awards, his Band Director broke down while telling him farewell.  This is were I noticed the role reversal of who loves who more.


Again, I would repeat that no one would ever question my Son's love for his band.  As the banquet progressed, it became obvious that every person in that room was endeared to my Son.  Whether it was a student, faculty member, or parent, they all wanted a picture with him, or to hug him.  The night ended in a tearful mess, but one thing one very clear.  All of my Son's years of hard work had bought him the unconditional love of every person in that room.  That was something much more powerful that a stack of plaques.  Albeit, an intangible, hard to wrap your arms around type thing, it was still a very impressive sight to behold.  While every parent says they want their child to hold a trophy, what they really want is for their child to hold a special place in someone's heart. To see him hold so many hearts in his hand was a scene that was surreal.

My boy and his Band Director.

Then it didn't stop there.  We progressed on to graduation.  Teachers with decades of experience with tears in their eyes trying to blubber out that they will miss your Son.  I asked one teacher for a picture with my boy and she mumbled something about he can never be replaced and ran off before she started crying without taking the picture.  The ManChild, (as I call him) has taught me a lot about life over the last seventeen years and ten months.  I knew this week would be emotional, but never thought it would teach me where the true power of love lays. My boys pour everything they have into whatever they do, they know no other way.  It showed up loud and clear this week.  I hope you get to experience the feeling of others loving your child unconditionally.

May Day! All Hands on Deck!

Merry Month of May!

It's May 1st!  With one Son Graduating High School and the other Graduating Jr. High the time has come to set this insanity into motion.  So what's on the May agenda you ask?  Oh just a few things.  Like Senior announcements, checking on college dorms, last minute scholarship applications, senior banquets, awards ceremonies, the actual graduation, and then some parties and such.  Then there is the 8th grader, so just cut out the college part, rinse, recycle, and start over.  Despite making lite of it, this really has been a year of planning just to culminate in this one month. Pictures were taken months ago.  Cap and gown order six months ago.  College planning started so long ago I can't remember when it started. Address list have been accumulated over that last year. And on and on.  For more plans please see master planner also known as the wife.


But I will choose to enjoy this May of non-stop events and celebrations.  The planning is done and it was done for the purpose of doing just that, enjoying the rewards of my Sons' labors.  Just this morning I got up at 4 am to bring the 8th grader to catch a bus to go to Jr. Beta Convention.  No gripes, just got up and made sure he had his stuff and we made our way.  I mean, how often in life will a month like this go down?  I surely will not let it pass in frustration or in a panic trying to play catch up.  I'm going to sit back and take it all in. Clap like a fool when they call my Son's name for an award.  Grin like I just stole something when I get to take a picture with them in their cap and gown.  And sit in my seat and reminisce as they walk across the stage.  Reminiscing is a strange thing.  Everyone says they wish they could have done more with their kid, but honestly I'm not sure how much more I could have put into my Senior.  I still have four more years to drill into my 8th grader.  But still as a parent you can't help but reflect on that oh so brief time that you had them as your babies.  And now their off into the wild blue yonder.

Graduation

History shows that Americans have shied away from May Day as a holiday.  The Cold War did this to us.  It has it's roots in celebrating the color Red and socialism.  But forget all that.  It's the First of the Merry Month of May.  My two boys are graduating.  And how often does that happen?  (well actually it should happen again in four years but that's another story)  So let's celebrate all month and hopefully at the end of the month we will have a college freshman and a high school freshman to show for it!

Happy May Day Everybody!!