Saturday, May 15, 2010

This Family Deserves a Party

And so, we begin the time of celebrating C's graduation from college with gingerbread pancakes. All is right with the world; let the celebration begin!
Married Daughter and Young Son-in-law have traveled from Pennsylvania to share the joy in this momentous occasion. Because everything is more fun surrounded by family.
Of course, this is Texas, so Young Son-in-law takes the prerequisite shots of cows in wildflower-filled pastures.
Three generations together on The Day to watch C graduate. Even the monsoon outside did not dampen our spirits. Though the thunder did make it difficult to hear at times.
And...here he comes. Cleans up quiet well.
An amazing thing I discovered: in a sea of identically dressed soon-to-be-graduates, every mother can quickly find her own child.
The joy filling the auditorium was unmistakable. A dad near me stood throughout the ceremony with tears streaming down his face. These were all our children that day, because we've been their "village". (But I'm the most proud of the one crossing the stage in this picture!)

Fun Fact to Know and Learn: Former graduates from C's college are Beth Moore, George Strait and Lyndon Baines Johnson.
One of C's junior high teachers got her three little ones out in the rain to watch him graduate. I'm a teacher, so I understand how former students leave their handprints on our hearts. (Thanks for coming, brave former teacher Ms. G!)
I managed to run across C and his girlfriend in the parking lot afterwords.  The ark is floating by to the left of us.
Family and friends later traveled from San Marcos to Austin for a Celebratory Lunch. What rain? What high wind? We were so happy we hardly noticed.
Back to my house for dessert. Where I had removed painting tarps from the front rooms. We all wore pictures of C from his first day of kindergarten, where I was his teacher. Because wasn't that just yesterday? (And parents of my first grade students: hold your little ones tightly, because you'll be watching them graduate faster than you can possibly imagine.)
Aunt and Uncle showed up to celebrate their role as C's mentors and biggest fans.
And more pictures of Young Son with Proud Mom. D was fighting cancer all through C's high school and college years, but C pressed on and graduated. Put himself through. And the world will be a better place for what C will use his degree for in the future.
You have probably figured out you may as well move along, nothing here for you today, if you are not in the mood for The Happy Family Photographs. Blogs are kind of like home movies of the olden days. Except you are a willing audience.

Older sister came in state to support her brother in his special accomplishment. The three of us have traveled a long journey together. But these two? They've been wonderful companions on this road of life.
And, last picture (I promise!) of my closest high school friend A, with her husband and son WHO MARRIED MY DAUGHTER. (If you've read this blog more than once, you've probably seen those words at least 300 times. Because it still brings me The Happy every time I think about my daughter married to her son.)

Future plans for Young Son? A two-week road trip to Indiana, Pennsylvania, Boston, New York, Maine...and anywhere else his heart desires on the road. Because his future is wide open now.

Congratulations, C. I'm so very proud of you. YBM


4 comments:

Craig Weeks said...

Excuse me? I don't "move along" until I've read every word and taken in every photo. Thank-you-very-much.

Lynn said...

I loved the Happy Family Pictures!!

Dawn said...

Read it all... every last word... and examined each photo. My mother's heart celebrated with yours. So glad to feel the happy "between the lines" of this post.

Be blessed my friend - and call me once things settle and you're up for coffee or other outing!

PS - Did you get in for a haircut with S? I'm headed there this coming week , I think.

Susan @ Blackberry Creek said...

Thanks for your comment on my blog. I hopped over to yours to see if I could discover a photo of your red door--and I discovered that you too are a new widow. My husband died on Sept. 2 of pancreatic cancer. He was also my second; my first ended in divorce. I wish I had discovered your blog sooner so that we might have comforted each other. I have to go now; I too am in the midst of house renovations (we have so much in common). But I will be back later. I want to read more about you and your family and your precious D. Have a great Sunday.