Commencing

Photo by Good Free Photos on Unsplash

It’s that time of year again, and I’m feeling it. Graduation-ness. The ending of eras, the approach of new-to-me eras, and watching my kids embark on new adventures too. It’s all new and yet, before we can move on, we have to finish what we started.

As we sit through all the ceremonies, we will be exhorted to remember, to seize the day, to live life on our own terms, to make the most of every situation, and to shoot for the stars. If I were giving a graduation speech (which I’m not) I might suggest 2 things to the students who are not listening as they fidget on stage, waiting their turn to walk.

1.  Live first, take pictures second. Do things, go places, enjoy life, and then snap a photo along the way in order to remember, not in order to craft a fake story online. It bears repeating: do not live in such a way as to look good online. Rather than orchestrating what you think will look interesting to others, live your life for real, pursuing your passions, loving on the people you love, soaking up the moments and enjoying them, and LASTLY, record what you did if you think about it. 

2.  Expect a twist. Every great story has a least 1 twist. The nature of twists is that they are unexpected, and they often completely change the direction of a life, a career, or a relationship. All the careful planning in the world cannot prevent your twist, and whether it seems good or bad at the time, there is always the possibility that good can come from it, and oftentimes HOW you deal with the twist will determine WHO you ultimately become. So expect the twist. But don’t be afraid of it. You can’t do anything to prevent or hasten it, so live that life (without photos) and be prepared to embrace the twist, whatever it looks like. How you approach it may determine your future, your attitude, and the legacy you leave behind.

So that’s MY graduation advice. I’m attending the last high school graduation for my children today. We attended our first college graduation last week. I’m in the thick of it when it comes to commencing. What are you beginning right now?

Jennifer Fromke is a novelist who writes from NC, where she pines for colder temperatures all year long. Northerners by upbringing, she and her husband of 27 years have raised three Southern-ish children. Jennifer reviews books at Shetalksbooks.com and you can download a free story from her website when you sign up for her newsletter at jenniferfromke.com. She writes contemporary women’s fiction.

Graduation Day

Congratulations to all 2015 graduates! Yes, it's Tidbit Tuesday here at Stitchesthrutime, but I'm discussing that really big event. Whether it’s your own, or your child’s, or your grandchild’s, graduation is one of the most memorable events of a person’s life. Not surprising, since it represents the completion of many years of study, an accomplishment to be proud of, a new beginning.

This past Saturday I went to my oldest grandson’s high school graduation. I don’t know where the years went—or how I got so old, but that's another topic. While graduations are a traditional thing, I noticed they're a bit different today. I enjoyed the ceremony like any proud grandmother, but I was jolted by how things have changed.

If memory serves, my graduation, held on the football field, was such a solemn occasion, no one would have thought of disrupting the ceremony. I think I held my breath during the entire time.

Saturday's ceremony was held inside, and we had to be seated two hours in advance. The moderator reminded us four times not to holler out when our graduate was called. If we did, security would haul us off. The first name (of about 500) was called, followed by whoops and hollers. This continued as each name was called. No one was hauled out. Are rules made just to be ignored?

When I graduated, only about ten percent of the class were honor graduates. At least one-third of Saturday’s graduating class were honor graduates. My guess is students haven’t really gotten smarter.

To this day, I remember parts of the valedictorian’s speech at my graduation. It covered the challenges we faced in a troubled world. That young man went straight into the Naval Academy and had a distinguished career as a naval officer.

I'm sure the valedictorian at my grandson’s graduation will have a successful future as well, but his speech was more entertaining than enlightening. Maybe that's what the world wants now, a speech that covers all the usual liberal causes, gay marriage, global warming, etc. Opposing viewpoints were noticeably absent from all of the speeches. No invocation. No mention of God.

Yes, I was surprised at how things have changed. But there are two things that remain the same. The accomplishment of the student and his/her parents is a testament to twelve years of study, tests, teachers, friends, sports, arts—the transformation of a little boy or girl into a knowledgeable, capable adult. Also, like the turning point in a novel, graduation is a life-changing event.

Every young person is faced with grown-up decisions after graduation, and those decisions will mark the path for the rest of his/her life. Let’s pray for them all. It may be a cliché, but they are our future.

The fondest memory I have of my own graduation day is my mother, sitting at the end of the bench after everyone had left, weeping. Of her six children, I was the youngest, the last to leave the nest.

Please share a favorite memory of your graduation.

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