Just One of Those Milestones......

Life goes full circle....birth to death. Along the road there are some shared "milestones" that many families celebrate together. It could be a birthday, a wedding, or a graduation. For our little family yesterday was special. After more than a year of stops and starts, change and more change our third grandson reached an important milestone. He graduated from West Bend High School.

So much of his four year high school experience was anything but typical as the United States and the world faced challenges that made even the "simplest" activity difficult. But Evan's class of 2021 made it through and yesterday marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.

We were uncertain until just a week or so prior to the ceremony whether anyone other than immediate family could attend or if we would be watching from home on a screen. But the school board made their decision and we were able to climb up the bleachers in the gymnasium and watch the 300+ students in cap and gown take their seats. The individual speakers took turns highlighting the classes' accomplishments and pointing them toward a bright future. It was pretty "typical" rhetoric, but somehow, when it's your loved grandson sitting in the audience the words take on more meaning.

One song chosen for the ceremony really surprised me. I am a country music fan but certainly figure that most young students do not share my interest. But early in the program a small group of choir members went to the front and sang a Rascal Flatts song, My Wish. Some of the lyrics, below, show why I ended up thinking this was a perfect graduation song:

I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow

And each road leads you where you want to go

And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose

I hope you choose the one that means the most to you

And if one door opens to another door closed

I hope you keep on walkin' 'till you find the window

If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile

But more than anything, more than anything

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to

Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small

You never need to carry more than you can hold

And while you're out there getting where you're getting to

I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too

Yeah, this, is my wish

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget

All the ones who love you, in the place you left

I hope you always forgive, and you never regret

And you help somebody every chance you get

Congratulations to our Evan......off to college in the fall and on to the next chapter. We may not be around to see every step of his life-road but we were so happy to be there for this one!