Graduation Day

Graduation is upon us and I’ve been thinking about what I would like to tell him. I’m proud. I’m excited for his future. I’m so grateful he’s my son. He knows all that; we say it all the time. But what did we need to hear at 18?

I’m proud of you.

I love you.

I will always have your back.

I am proud of you for all the times you didn’t get the grade you wanted, and how you took that and built a better path. I’m proud of how you changed your studying habits because of it. I’m proud of how you spoke to your teacher and advocated for yourself. We are all going to make mistakes or fail to live up to our expectations at times; it’s how you handle it that shows your character.

I’m proud of you not for your As and Bs, but for the amount of times teachers told me that you are a standout human being with a kind heart and an old soul. You can always learn new things, but being a good human is engrained in the fibers of your soul. The people you meet in life won’t remember if you can memorize things, but they will remember how you treated them.

I’m grateful that even when you’re playing video games with friends, you still shout “I love you” to me before I go to bed for the night. You’ll see someday that that simple gesture means more than any flowers or gifts you can give. We have spent the last 18 years growing up together, and it’s been the best education we could ask for.

I’m in awe that you worked two jobs, went to school, played sports, and kept great grades. I come home at the end of an 8 hour workday and I’m exhausted, and sometimes I feel that guilt that your day didn’t end at 3 pm as you headed to your part time job. But you did it so you could help with college and save for your future and you did it for two years. That’s incredible.

I’m happy that you found your people. My mom used to say if you can find a few really great friends, you’ve won the lottery. You have. To see you out having fun and making memories is amazing. Invest time in people you care about; you will not regret it.

Give your best to every day. Know that every day won’t be an A+ day. Sometimes, our best is a C. Sometimes it’s a D. Sometimes we are just passing. And that’s ok. Just give whatever your best is that day and know that tomorrow will be different. And dad and I are here for you, whatever type of day it is.

Know that even when you don’t believe in yourself, Dad and I believe in you enough for all of us. Your goals in life will change. Your path will see obstacles and forks in the road. You will have to make hard choices, and hopefully be lucky enough that some good surprises find their way to you. Through it all, Dad and I will be there to celebrate, pick you up, or help you build.

And back to one we already said: be a good human. Your character is one of the few things people cannot take from you; you own that. So protect it. Help it flourish. Be the person you believe yourself to be.

And finally - have fun. Have a lot of it. Make it a priority. And if you find your life is lacking it, be brave enough to make a change. Life is short, even if you live to be 100. Don’t just exist - LIVE.

We love you and can’t wait to celebrate all you have accomplished at graduation tomorrow. You are incredible!