Graduations Bring Tears

This is the first year that the announcement of Graduations have me a bit emotional. Several of my High School friends are announcing their child now graduating from school. Several of friends of my sons are graduating this year. It seems like quite a bit of transition.

This summer Nate will probably be working near to full time. He leaves this week to volunteer for 6 weeks at a Younglife Camp in Central Oregon. We are hoping he will get to have a bit of lifeguard duties. He has already been a lifeguard there last weekend, and spent this weekend as a lifeguard at a local camp with the lake patrol. All of these far off dreams from long ago – are now here, real, in the experience, not in a wishful thought of ‘I Hope’. Sigh.

And I remember my graduation 25 15 years ago. We said our tearful goodbyes after the ceremony, and then, that world disappeared. I moved to Petaluma, California less than a week after graduation, spent the summer working at the Coast Guard Training Center, met my love in the fall, and we were married in December. I did move back into town for a season a few years ago, but it was never the same. Those graduation parties were an end of an era in my life.

Now we have the power of Instagram and Facebook to keep up with lost classmates. I remember at our 20th reunion that most of us connected on FB. It was fun looking through personal photos and status updates, getting a stalker’s glimpse into each other’s lives. The boys are already connected with every human being they know on FB. It makes me wonder what the transition will be for them. Will they go 20 years without seeing a classmate?

(Friend J. and Nate)

Nathan is working so much that he rarely has time to just hang with the boys anymore. I’m asking him to quit one job and not pick it up when he returns from Camp. He’ll still work at the Community Center at the pool, and at the Camp next door as a lifeguard. He might pick up a few hours at the Oregon Surf Shop to help pay for winter gear.

Childhood. So fleeting. I held a newborn baby this morning. Almost crushed the poor thing. Wasn’t it just yesterday? When I was terrified to be alone with this small crying creature? Wasn’t it last week that we started our homeschool journey and had so much time to try to figure out how to fill? Our number one question – “What do you DO all day?” That was the question I asked so many other homeschoolers.

We have 1 more video of Chemistry and a few tests to finish up. 1 video for History. A final essay to write for English – and then, he’s off to camp. Off.

At least we still have two more years. But this graduation season has me mindful of how fast time is passing, how fleeting it is, how final it will be, how he’ll be set to wisk off himself after graduation.

Cherish. I will cherish every second I get to be with this crew this summer. I will say yes to the rides. Yes to the events. Yes to the crazy and the parties and the sleepovers. Yes to campouts. Yes to movie nights. Yes. I will stock extra ‘teen food’ in the house to be ready for their invasions.