by Bill Bussey
I attended a fairly small public high school that graduated roughly two hundred or so kids every year. One of the more memorable moments at my graduation came as a result of a well-intentioned classmate, who, in honor of our departure, followed through with his regrettable urge to re-write the lyrics of Simon and Garfunkle’s “Bookends”. The Vienna Boy’s Choir are the only folks I can think of who could manage this tune, which, incidentally, possesses all the celebratory joy of Leonard Cohen at the dentist. Nobody could sing it. Nobody wanted to sing it. We didn’t even bother to mouth it. Most folks used the moment as a bathroom break. Another notable juncture occurred later when the seemingly endless awards’ portion overlooked me. They gave out awards for every possible character trait or career choice. Everybody received at least three scholarships or commendations, even the kids who had dropped out. To endure this, I convinced myself that what I was witnessing was really a raffle.
The end of the year for graduates is understandably pretty much all about them, but to be honest, sometimes we all can lose perspective down the final stretch. Any student who gets accepted into Nobles (many do not) and then successfully navigates the Sisyphean demands required to maintain their place in this school (not everyone makes it through) should realize that their diploma is in itself an honor. I cringe a bit on those rare occasions when I hear folks mutter that their son or daughter got the shaft because someone else got the nod. Anything beyond a Nobles diploma really shouldn’t be expected. Yet, I do expect every graduate to take the time and effort to express their appreciation, whether it be to classmates or faculty members, for all that they have been given. Truthfully, every student should do just that every year whether they are graduating or not.
But often it’s the parents of graduates who get overlooked in the waning weeks of the school year—mostly by their own children who are rushing happily from one celebratory event to another. In a perfect world, the run up to graduation would include a Mardi Gras of sorts in which the parents of Class I students could be given a well-deserved tip of the hat for all they have done. To be fair, there are moments at various events prior to graduation that parents get their due. That said, it is unrealistic for us to expect our seniors to fully appreciate all the anxiety, heartache, and sleepless nights that came with our unbridled joy in raising them. Nor can they completely understand how their departure leaves our world in some ways just a little less than what it was. But at this crucial transition it is imperative that each of you carve out a quiet moment with your soon-to-be-graduate and share with them in no uncertain terms everything that they have always meant to you, how they always will, and how that being their parent has been the greatest gift that you have ever known. Lay it on the table and give your child both the means and the moment to do the same.
What are your thoughts during this graduation season?