Memories. . . Light the Corners of My Mind

When I read today's post title in my head, it is in Tom Hanks' voice rather than Barbra Streisand's:

Every year on the first Friday in May, I share the Orange Line with Northeastern University graduates in their caps and gowns.  I am always surprised by how early their graduation is, as I graduated from college on May 31.  (They probably had a much shorter winter break.  Wellesley gave us loads of time for the holidays and "Wintersession"-- a month-long mini-semester that I used every year for champion-level napping.)  This morning's grads were sporting their finest duds and exuding excitement.  The happiness of the grads is at least momentarily contagious each year.  Today that happiness is combined with lovely spring weather and the fact that a coworker told me that my hair looks "especially cute" this morning.  Does life get any better?  (Spoiler alert:  Mine does not.)

The Northeastern lads and ladies made me nostalgic for the gorgeous Wellesley campus, my wonderful Wellesley friends, and the beautiful spring day a dozen years ago when I graduated and my family and friends came together to support me.  Whoopi Goldberg was the commencement speaker and she delivered the best address I have heard at a graduation.  When Ryan and our cousin Kyle found out Morgan Freeman was there to see his granddaughter graduate, they stalked him so hard that he had to change his seat.  In the era before digital cameras, I was surprised to discover that we were out of film after just a handful of post-graduation pictures.  When  I got the photos back, I had dozens of blurry shots of a seated African American man and one very clear shot of Ryan scooping Kyle up in An Officer and a Gentleman-style embrace.

Graduations are long and boring.  This is a fact of which I am acutely aware, as I work at a university and am therefore guaranteed the "opportunity" to attend at least one graduation every spring.  My college graduation was on a Friday, so in addition to the promise of a painful ceremony, most of my loved ones who attended had to take a day off from work.  My dear friends Christi and Laura, who had graduated from Wellesley the previous spring, flew back to attend graduation.  They had been out in the real world for one year and they used their money and vacation time (and spent a couple nights sleeping in the lap of luxury-- my dorm room) to celebrate with me.  True friends.

Of course my parents and Ryan attended Commencement.  My mother came down early to go to a few pre-graduation events, such as baccalaureate (also boring-- sorry, Mum) and a senior week Boston Pops concert.  My uncles Steve and Jeff attended the Pops concert as well.  It was such a thrill to spend four years living close to them and getting to see more of them.  They took me to dinners and shows, and in one of my favorite college memories, they showed up with an ice cream cake on the final night of my sophomore year at Wellesley.  My roommate Jamie and I had one of the best doubles on campus and we ate cake on the patio with my friends, while USteve sported my roommate's tiara.  Having them at my graduation meant the world to me.

My mother's sister Kathy, her husband Stephen, and my cousins Kyle and Molly had me pretty much move in with them during numerous weekends throughout my four years at college.  I lived an hour away, so getting me and bringing me back meant four hours of driving for them every time that I visited.  It also meant that their laundry facilities were not available to them as I never failed to show up without a massive bag of dirty clothes and that Uncle Stephen may have to devote some time to talking me through a school-work-related panic attack.  Our families had always been close, spending school vacations together growing up, but when Ryan, Kyle, Molly, and I all ended up living outside Boston in college, we became even closer.  I couldn't have imagined graduating without my aunt, uncle, and cousins there.

My four grandparents and my step-grandmother also attended my graduation.  How amazing is that?  Not only was I lucky enough to have all of my grandparents alive and healthy enough to attend, but they sat on folding chairs for hours on a hot day just for me.  My dad's brother UJohn came to my graduation as well.  He had been kind enough to give me rides from Boston to Maine and back many times over the years.  He had a very long commute each week and added time onto that drive by helping me.  I was surrounded by the absolute best people.  When I walked across the stage to receive my diploma and saw and heard them cheering, I was so overwhelmed with happiness and love that I teared up.  This morning when I saw the graduates on the train, I felt grateful to every person who shared in my celebration twelve years ago.  I understand now even more than I did then that they all made sacrifices to be with me on that day and that many of them, my parents most of all, had made sacrifices on my behalf through my entire life.  I am so very fortunate and today during my usual rushed commute I took a moment to remember that.

Whoopi's Wisdom: Check your own basket.

*Edited to use REAL NAMES per my co-blogger's suggestion.