Diploma-cy (Ha! Sorry...)

Team WestEnders--along with some of their key supporters--came together this past weekend to mark a huuuge milestone for one of our members. Although he will be continuing on to college, by far the longest stretch of Derek's educational journey, which began in Kindergarten at age 5, culminated in him walking across the stage at UNC's Dean Smith Center to receive his High School diploma.

On hand were his favorite aunt (okay, technically his only one--but she's earned her top ranking in any case), who also happens to be my sister. It was her first time visiting us in NC, so she came down early to spend some extra extended-family-bonding-time. (Yay!) Then his godparents (whom we affectionately call Fairy (godmother) and Don (as in Corleone...the OG godfather) and their kids (who are like bonus cousins) arrived, and the Celebration Squad was officially complete.

Once everyone was on-hand, we kicked things off in style--with a pizza and movie night. (Hey, it was the end of a loooong week, so it seemed like the thing to do...) For our cinematic selection, we chose an iconic baseball movie: Bull Durham. Now, my family happens to be enormous baseball fans, so this is a beloved film...which we've watched so many times that we frequently throw random quotes from the script into casual conversation, and crack ourselves us...even if no one else quite catches on to what the heck is so funny.

And we've been saying to Derek--oh, since he was about 8, if you believe HIM--that he reeeaallyyy has to see it...once he's old enough. So the other day when I mentioned that it's one of the things I want to do with him before he goes away to college in the Fall, he exasperatedly replied, "Ya know, Mom, I'm above the age to get into R-rated movies. And I'm 18 now, so I'm technically an adult. So when is it going to be okay with you?"

I'm not gonna say he didn't have a valid point...so the answer was "how about NOW!?" and we all settled in to pay our respects to "the church of baseball" At various points during the show, he'd turn to us with a mega-grin and nod his head, saying, "Yep, I finally understand why you say that!" Introducing a new generation to a classic flick...while enjoying some extra-special family togetherness...CHECK!

Then it was on to the Main Event--which began on Saturday with a period of carefully orchestrated...semi-controlled chaos. Of course, this is to be expected when one High School Senior, 5 other adults, and 3 related minors need to get themselves properly attired and...for the females among us, at least, otherwise gussied up...loaded into various vehicles at several different times...and transported to the ceremony. Yeah, it was kind of a circus, I tell ya. But we all made it (on time, even, which is a miracle of no small magnitude), and prepared ourselves for the moment when the first strains of the inevitable Pomp and Circumstance played over the sound system.

To be honest, I was expecting that to be my cue for waterworks, but it just seemed so...surreal...that I was able to keep it together. Observing as the 325 soon-to-be-former-students processed in and took their seats felt like watching another movie...until I spotted Derek in the back row. Seeing my own kid in his black robe, gold sash, and mortarboard made the situation at least a little bit more concrete. We, along with the rest of the Peanut Gallery--I mean "friends, relatives, and honored guests"--endured the usual graduation...stuff...like the opening remarks from the Principal, recognition of (30-ish!) Valedictorians, speeches from (multiple) students...until finally the much-anticipated moment arrived when the graduates-to-be heard their names, strolled across the stage, and received their get-out-of-school-free papers.

And in the space of a few heartbeats, 13 years' worth of numbers flashed before my eyes--like the repeated cycle of 10 months, 4 quarters, and 180 days; the 6 years in Elementary, 3 in Middle, and 4 in High school; the endless pattern of 4 core classes and countless electives--and then came to an end. The class of 2018 exited in an orderly fashion...into a massive swarm of waiting loved ones, all of whom were attempting to reunite with their one special alum (and get the heck outta Dodge--er, "campus"). Once we had located our Derek, we bid the university farewell and headed back to Casa WestEnders to kick off the relaxation and fiesta portion of our weekend.

In our case, this involved food and--because we'd started a theme the previous night, apparently--yet another movie about America's pastime: Major League. We just managed to squeeze this in before we wished Derek good night and godspeed...since he planned to attend the free, all-night party known as Project Graduation (an event designed to provide an entertaining, social shindig to keep the Seniors safe, amused...and off the streets... after their commencement). The rest of us, meanwhile, collapsed in relief on the sofas, worn out from the rewarding and memorable--but also emotionally draining--day of...hoopla.

But in all seriousness, I don't think it's quite sunk in yet...that my oldest child is now a High School graduate. I think it's going to be more of a...process...coming to grips with this whole concept. Because don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not going to miss the daily grind, any more than Derek will. Yet...once I accept the fact that his High School career is over, I'm going to have to start dealing with a whole lot more...monumental...changes that are coming right around the bend--and I'm just not there yet. For now, I'm going to treasure the quality time we'll get to share this Summer...and sloooowly work on getting ready to drop him off at college in August. Baby. Steps!