Moving On.....

Today I am feeling a bit sentimental. There is a lot to celebrate in our family right now.....birthdays and graduations......and I'm so proud. Of my boys. Of us.  

And I'm thankful. For the gift of watching three little boys grow into fine young men. For their confidence and positive outlooks. For others who have made it a point to participate with love and support, engaging with the boys and us along the way. 

Within the next couple of weeks we'll celebrate with the older ones as they graduate from college. As they finish what they started and move on to the next step. I am bursting as I remember them as college freshman......an entire menu of potential life paths set out before them within a course catalog. My advice to them now is the same as it was then: Try out a few things. Find out what it is you hold a passion and an affinity for. Trust that you'll know when something is right for you,  for education is as much about figuring out ways that you don't want to spend your time, as it is about finding out with certainty, ways that you do. But once you figure it out, dive in, live it and you'll succeed.

And so I will watch them finish with ceremony. For one, it will be the last specific reason I have to visit my alma mater unless business or fun take me back. It is the place where all of my siblings attended college as well, so I've been visiting one family member or another there since I was eleven. I'll watch as he wears the colors I grew up with and carries the same diploma.  My other son went through graduation ceremonies at his school last spring, but returned to finish up a different degree. So we'll celebrate with him again before leaving him and his dog, Lew, in the place he's grown to love, and where he's decided to stay for awhile.

My youngest is in that same place the older guys were a few years ago. Finishing up his freshman year. Taking a look. Solidifying his choice. It's funny to have ones at both ends of the spectrum, and he's lucky in that he has the added bonus of being able to watch his older brothers.

So last night I made a good dinner and a cake.  I felt like celebrating. Cheers!

(And......as always, I love to hear your stories as well!)