College graduation - I was NOT going to cry . . .

My oldest son, John, graduated on December 15th, and, as momentous as the event was for us, with the impending Christmas holiday, I hadn't had time to post anything on the blog about it, or even to digest it.

I am so enormously proud of this MAN . . . I guess I really need to get used to the word - man!

I found the official portrait above under the tree on Christmas morning.  You see, I had asked, reasoned and nagged, and had gotten a resounding no - he was NOT going to go get his picture taken.  And then, he surprised me.  A genuine, honest to goodness surprise!  I'm not caught off-guard very often . . .

Here he is with his friend, Don, who was Class Marshall - he got to wear the cool red gown - and a couple of his teachers.

This is what I'll remember most about that day:  We had to get up at an ungodly hour to be able to drop John off an hour before start time . . . It was cold that morning!  I mean, it was really cold and the wind was blowing high . . . I had a pain between my brows from frowning against the wind, even for the short walk between the parking lot and the building . . . My hair . . . I don't want to think about my hair . . . I bought coffee to warm up and ended up spilling it under the stadium seat.  David, my younger son, had to go get a wad of napkins to mop it up . . .  the seats were uncomfortable (although we had good visibility) so I shifted positions constantly, even my patient David was ready to throttle me . . . I was not going to cry . . .  This was no cozy, intimate, reflective moment . . . it was loud, the lights were garish, I was cold, uncomfortable . . . I had been to many graduations that looked remarkably like this one . . . and then the orchestra started to play "Pomp and Circumstance" . . . and the procession began . . . first the professors, then the students . . . I was not going to cry . . . slowly, this stopped feeling like an ordinary graduation . . . then I saw John . . . and the dam broke . . . 

And I don't cry pretty . . . I do the ugly cry, the kind with the runny nose, and smeared mascara, and the blotchy red face. . .  the only good thing is, I do it quietly, I don't sob, usually, maybe if I did, the rest of my face wouldn't get so messed up . . .  But I stopped . . . the thought of a blotchy face AND a messy hair was scaring me to death . . . and I was missing out on this tremendous pageantry!

My brother, Al, and sister-in-law, Kathy, were there . . . as they were on the day John was born . . .

My sister-in-law, Mary Ann, and her family were there . . . Mary Ann is a pharmacist and had just finished a 12-hour shift at work, but she wanted to be there . . . I was so touched . . .

And I guess it has to be done . . . Here is our little family . . . not the best picture we've ever taken, but one that will be sure to bring back a lot of memories . . . (Besides, I'll show you our Christmas card picture tomorrow . . . it's really much nicer).

John completed two separate degrees, so he received two tassels.  The brown one is for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, and the blue one is for the Bachelor of Science in Education . . .  Hmm . . . brown and blue . . . is there a tablescape color scheme in there . . . ?

This has been a hectic season . . . Busy, exciting, emotional . . . and unforgettable.

I'm joining The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays.